1 . Following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), also named COVID-19 by WHO, there is a general fear of the unknown virus as its full effects remain to be seen. Fever, coughing, sore throat, difficulty breathing —the NCP’s symptoms are similar to the common cold or the flu, but it’s potentially more dangerous.
Viruses could be deadly, like HIV and Ebola. But what are viruses? How can they cause so much trouble?
Viruses are non-living organisms (有机体) approximately one-millionth of an inch long. Unlike human cells or bacteria, they can’t reproduce on their own. Instead, they invade the cells of living organisms to reproduce, spread and take over.
Viruses can infect every living thing – from plants and animals down to the smallest bacteria. For this reason, they always have the potential to be dangerous to human life. Sometimes a virus can cause a disease so serious that it is fatal. Other viral infections trigger no noticeable reaction.
Viruses lie around our environment all of the time, waiting for a host cell to come along. They can enter our bodies by the nose, mouth, eyes or breaks in the skin. Once inside, they try to find a host cell to infect. For example, HIV, which causes AIDS, attacks the T-cells of the immune system.
But the basic question is, where did viruses first come from? Until now, no clear explanation for their origin exists. “Tracing the origins of viruses is difficult”, Ed Rybicki, a virologist (病毒学家) at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, told Scientific American, “because viruses don’t leave fossils and because of the tricks they use to make copies of themselves within the cells they’ve invaded”.
However, there are three main hypotheses (假说) to explain the origin of viruses. First, viruses started as independent organisms, then became parasites (寄生者). Second, viruses evolved from pieces of DNA or RNA that “escaped” from larger organisms. Third, viruses co-evolved with their host cells, which means they existed alongside these cells.
For the time being, these are only theories. The technology and evidence we have today cannot be used to test these theories and identify the most plausible explanation. Continuing studies may provide us with clearer answers. Or future studies may reveal that the answer is even murkier (含糊不清的) than it now appears.
1. What can we learn about viruses from the text?| A．Viruses have nothing to do with the common cold. |
| B．Viruses are really small living organisms. |
| C．Viruses can’t reproduce unless they find a host cell. |
| D．Viruses enter our bodies mainly through the mouth, nose and hair. |
| A．They evolved from the fossils of large organisms. |
| B．They evolved from parasites into independent organisms. |
| C．They evolved from the T-cells in animals. |
| D．They evolved along with their host cells. |
| A．reasonable | B．common |
| C．creative | D．unbelievable |
| A．Viruses live longer in human host cells than in animals’. |
| B．Viruses will become more like bacteria as they evolve. |
| C．It may take a long time to understand the origin of viruses. |
| D．The author is optimistic about future virus research. |
2 . China's first astronaut 38-year-old Yang Liwei returned safely to earth Thursday morning, when his craft Shenzhou 5 touched down as scheduled after more than 21 hours in the earth's orbit. Chinese premier Wen Jiabao called the landmarkdebutflight a “complete success”. The descent capsule(返回舱) carrying Lt. Col. Yang Liwei touched down on the grasslands of the Gobi Desert, in central Inner Mongolia at 6:23 am Thursday (Beijing Time), the Beijing-based China's Aerospace Command and Control Center said. Minutes later, Yang grabbed the capsule hatch with his hand, pulled himself out, smiled and waved at recovery teams and reporters. “It is a splendid moment in the history of my motherland and also the greatest day of my life,” Yang, a former fighter pilot from Northeast China's Liaoning Province, said immediately after emerging. In an interview with CCTV, China's state television, Yang said he was “feeling excellent”. Shenzhou 5 landed at dawn, 4.8 kilometres (3 miles) from its designed landing target, the officials said. “The spaceship operated well,” the astronaut Yang Liwei said in his first publicized comments. “I feel very good and I am proud of my motherland.” After a physical exam on spot, Yang's condition was found as "good." Li Jinai, the commander of China's manned space program, called Yang a “space hero” and a “national hero”. Following Yang's touchdown, China's premier Wen Jiabao immediately spoke to Yang from Beijing's command and control centre and offered his congratulations.
Within hours, Chinese space officials announced that the country's space dreams will continue with a "Shenzhou 6" mission, most possibly within a year. They said China also had worked out plans to conduct space walking by its astronauts, and eventually build up a space station. However, Chinese scientists ruled out building a space shuttle, like the United States.
Yang's flight came four decades after the former Soviet Union and the United States pioneered manned spaceflight. Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth in April 1961. One month later, the United States launched Alan B. Shepard Jr.
1. What is true of the first Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei?| A．He is now a fighter pilot. |
| B．He was helped to get out of the descent capsule. |
| C．He spent nearly a day in space. |
| D．He was called a “space hero” and a “national hero” by China's premier Wen Jiabao. |
| A．space walking | B．setting up a space station |
| C．building up a space shuttle | D．sending up “Shenzhou 6” |
| A．first public appearance | B．space |
| C．carrying person | D．space-ship |
| A．Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first man in the world to travel in space. |
| B．the United States launched Alan B. Shepard Jr. about 40 years ago. |
| C．China is the third country in the world to carry out the manned space flight successfully. |
| D．“Shenzhou 6” will carry more than one astronaut in the mission. |
3 . Artists are continually trying to find creative ways to show their talent. Some, like Iris Scott, paint with their bare fingers. Now Turkish artist Garip Ay has become well-known worldwide by adopting Ebru, an ancient technique that allows him to create amazing paintings on water.
Believed to have originated in Central Asia in the 13th century, Ebru made its way to Turkey by the 16th century, where it was perfected. The art form remains popular in Turkey, with many painters using the technique to create attractive pieces, coveted by both collectors and tourists.
Ebru artists begin by adding some gum to water to help increase the water's viscosity(黏 度)and prevent it from mixing with the paint. The solution (溶液)is then poured into a wooden container with the same dimensions as the solid surface on which the painting will finally rest. To keep the colors afloat, and improve their ability to spread across the water's surface, some drops of ox bile(胆汁)are mixed in with each color.
To create the paintings, the artists first splash(泼洒)the paints on the water using brushes made with horsehair. They then use droppers(滴管)to carefully shape the colors and create the perfect designs. When complete,an absorbent surface, such as paper, is carefully placed on top to get the painting. Once dry, the artwork is flattened and polished by hand.
Ebru was initially used for book covers or to decorate the inside pages with wildly colorful papers. However, artists like Ay have added a modern twist by using absorbent fabrics, glass, and wood as solid surfaces.
Though Ay has created several amazing paintings since he began using Ebru in 2007, the most famous is his 2016 recreation of Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. Those seeking a more modern Ebru creation is pleased to know that in 2017. The artist also painted characters from the popular Netflix series, Stranger Things.
1. What does the underline word "coveted" in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Produced. | B．Impressed. |
| C．Desired. | D．Learned. |
| A．The preparations for creating Ebru paintings. |
| B．How to mix up water and a variety of colors. |
| C．The whole process of creating Ebru paintings. |
| D．How to spread paints across the water's surface. |
| A．He makes some improvements on it. | B．He discovers it in Starry Night. |
| C．He comes up with it and spreads it. | D．He adds a traditional twist to it. |
| A．Great Artists Create a Lot of Unique Paintings |
| B．An Ancient Technique Is Used to Paint on Water |
| C．Painting on Water Becomes Possible Eventually |
| D．A Turkish Artist Is Famous for His Paintings |
4 . About eight years ago, Mary Grace Henry of Harrison, New York, asked for a sewing machine for her birthday. She wanted to design and sell headbands (头巾) to pay for just one African girl’s schooling.
Now, 11,000 headbands later, Mary Grace has sold enough to give 45 girls living in poverty the gift of an education.
Henry is the founder of Reverse The Course — a headband-making business that gives 100 percent of the money it makes toward educational chances for girls, primarily in Uganda and Kenya. Henry had the idea to start her business after learning about early marriage in some developing countries—a practice that greatly reduces the likelihood of a girl receiving education.
There are about 67 million child brides (新娘) worldwide, according to the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). Girls in poor communities in the developing world are greatly affected by the practice, which “repeats the cycle of poverty,” according to the organization.
On November 6, Henry won a World of Children Award for her work to fight against the practice through educational chances. According to the organization, $35,000 will be given to support Reverse The Course’s work by providing money for student workshops and programs for girls in poor Africa.
“The greatest difficulty of education faced by both girls and boys is poverty,” Henry told the awards organization. “Girls, though, face a second hurdle that is far more difficult to address: their culture. In many countries throughout the world, girls are viewed as having not just less value than boys, but often little or no value.”
“When you see a need, act,” Henry said of the advice she’d give to others who want to make change. “Dream big, but start small, taking little steps. Set a goal and don’t frighten yourself by thinking about the ‘what-ifs.’ Each step taken will present both new chances and new difficulties. Face each one as it comes and then keep going. All those little steps, done with love, will lead you to places impossible to imagine.”
1. Why did Henry found Reverse The Course?| A．To develop girls’ sewing skills. | B．To raise money for the homeless. |
| C．To teach girls to design headbands. | D．To help African girls receive education. |
| A．Girls having less value than boys. | B．Child marriage in some countries. |
| C．Health problems in poor Africa. | D．Unfair schooling in some countries. |
| A．Mistake. | B．Choice. |
| C．Need. | D．Problem. |
| A．Treasure what they have. |
| B．Put themselves in others’ shoes. |
| C．Take small steps towards achieving their goal. |
| D．Bring happiness to others with time and patience. |
5 . What do you usually do when a flying insect lands on your arm? Most likely you blow it away.
But what if that bug were a ladybug (瓢虫)? Then chances are you would let it stay. What is it about ladybugs that we like?
Farmers once thought ladybugs were a good luck sign. A ladybug in the field meant that the crops (庄稼) would be successful and the weather would be good. The farmers may have been exaggerating (夸大) about what a very small bug can do, but in fact ladybugs do help out with the crops. They eat harmful insects.
Actually, it is not the adult ladybug that cats the other insects. It's the ladybug larvae (幼虫). Ladybugs lay their eggs on leaves that are covered with aphids or other insects. When the larvae come out of the eggs, they are very hungry and will eat mites, aphids, mealybugs, green flies, and other crop-destroyers. A single ladybug larva can eat over 1,000 aphids in one day. In the 1800s, ladybugs were brought all the way from Australia to California and set free among orange trees that were dying from being eaten by insects. The little red and black “eating machines" completely saved all the trees.
Ladybugs go about their daily business without worrying much about anything. Very few birds or insects will eat a ladybug because it gives off something that is dangerous to cat. Ladybugs also protect themselves by playing dead. They fall off leaves and remain very still until their enemy goes away.
So next time you see a ladybug, think about what it may be up to. Maybe it is off to save an orange tree. Maybe its next move will be to fall off a leaf and play dead or stand up to a bird about 100 times its size. Maybe it's letting you know that the weather will be good tomorrow. Who knows? Ladybugs are special that way.
1. What do we know about mites and aphids?| A．They do harm to the crops. |
| B．They eat more than they should. |
| C．They are food for adult ladybugs. |
| D．They are the enemy of ladybug larvae. |
| A．To report the weather for farmers. |
| B．To save orange trees. |
| C．To do research on them. |
| D．To increase their number. |
| A．Play with. |
| B．Worry about. |
| C．Fight back against. |
| D．Get along with. |
| A．It is a little flying helper. |
| B．It is a good luck sign. |
| C．It is a crop-destroyer. |
| D．It is a big eating machine. |
6 . Deciding to get her money's worth out of the wedding dress on which she spent over $1,000, an Australian woman has been wearing her wedding dress, a year after her wedding.
43-year-old Tammy Hall adopted a new lifestyle-anti-consumerism (反消费主义) lifestyle in 2016, after a trip to India opened her eyes to how much we as a society consumed. She decided not to buy any new clothes or footwear for a whole year after she returned home to Adelaide, in Southern Australia, and she managed to make it.
But last year, as her wedding day approached, she faced a dilemma. She wanted to look good on the most important day of her life, but how could she spend a small fortune on the wedding dress she would only wear on that day?
"In the end I decided that if I was going to get a wedding dress, I'd make sure I could get my money's worth," Hall tells PA Real Life.
"The first time I wore it after the wedding was to vote in the Australian election in early 2019," the 43-year-old adds. "Since then, it's been to all sorts of places. Wearing it on a crowded train was especially funny, but I've worn it to do housework, to football games and to the gym."
Hall says that she has gotten some strange looks from people, but no irritating comments. It may have something to do with the fact that the dress is not the fanciest, but she believes people are just too reserved to say anything. Anyway, she doesn't really care, because she knows she has to hit the goal she has set and wearing the dress multiple times is the most reasonable way she could think of to make the most of her wedding dress.
Hall now plans to wear her wedding dress on a trip to Iceland that she and her partner will take next summer.
1. Why did Tammy Hall adopt a new lifestyle?| A．To adapt herself to Indian life. | B．To cut down her consumption. |
| C．To save money for her next trip. | D．To get prepared for her wedding. |
| A．She brought fun to people with it. | B．She tried to wear it to earn money. |
| C．She wore it repeatedly in daily life. | D．She got it exchanged again and again. |
| A．Thrilling. | B．Annoying. |
| C．Amusing. | D．Confusing. |
| A．She is determined to turn her ideas into practice. |
| B．She values her wedding dress less than her trips. |
| C．She has been struggling to make the ends meet. |
| D．She has influenced people's lifestyle widely. |
7 . A global group of scientists have reduced the time it takes to find and introduce disease-resistance genes from wild plants into domestic crops such as rice, wheat and potato, a research revealed on Tuesday.
Scientists from the John Innes Center in Britain, along with colleagues from Australia and the United States, have created a database known as AgRenSeq, where researchers can easily search for resistance genes already discovered in wild relatives of modern crops.
The study was co-authored by a global expert Professor HarbansBariana from the University of Sydney, who said that this technology will support the discovery and characterization of new sources of disease resistance in plants. Once researchers have identified resistance genes using AgRenSeq, they can clone them and introduce them to domestic crops to protect against diseases and pests,
“We have found a way to scan the genome(基因组)of a wild relative of a crop plant and pick out the resistance genes we need and we can do it in record time,” Dr. Brande Wulff, a project leader from the John Innes Centre, said.
“This used to be a process that took l0 Or 15 years and was like searching for a needle in a haystack(干草堆),” Wulff said. “We have perfected the method so that we can clone these genes in a matter of months and for just thousands of dollars instead of millions.”
The team are highly optimistic about their work, predicting it to be utilized in protecting many crops with wild relatives including soybeans, pea, cotton, potato, wheat, rice, banana and cocoa. “Using speed cloning and speed breeding we could deliver resistance genes into the best varieties within a couple of years, like a phoenix(凤凰) rising from the ashes,” Wulff added.
1. How have the researchers developed the resistance genes?| A．By reducing the research time. |
| B．By introducing them to wild plants. |
| C．By cloning them from domestic crops. |
| D．By getting resistance genes from wild plants. |
| A．It will protect crops from being damaged by pests. |
| B．It will create a database for researchers to search. |
| C．It will protect domestic crops for 10 to 15 years. |
| D．It will contribute to reducing the wild plants. |
| A．Produced. | B．Made. |
| C．Used. | D．Studied. |
| A．The resistance genes cost millions of dollars. |
| B．The resistance genes were found in a haystack. |
| C．It took the researchers ten years to find the resistance genes. |
| D．Disease-resistance genes will be put into practice soon. |
8 . Listening to music is considered a good thing for adults. Indeed it is. Scientific studies have proved it. Music has so many good effects on our body, mind and mood that this world will certainly not be a good place without music. Then, is music good for children? Some parents think so and let their children learn or listen to music. But some parents don't know the importance of music to children. Here are some reasons why music is important to children.
First, music is good for children’s intelligence. Studies have proved that children who learn music are likely to have higher intelligence than those who have no interest in or dislike music. This is because the brain gets stimulated (刺激) by the rhythm and tone of music.
Music also has soothing (抚慰的) effect on children and helps remove their stress. Today’s children are under a lot of stress from schoolwork. Being under too much stress impairs children’s health. Luckily，listening to music can help them feel better.
Music can improve children’s moods. Some children are sad by nature. They seem to be lost in their own thoughts and don’t take interest in their surroundings. In such cases，a method known as “music therapy” comes to their rescue. It changes their moods and places a new kind of spirit in them.
Music is also a universal language that children ought to learn. Our world has become a global village. People are getting more and more interested in other cultures and countries. Music can help them in understanding foreign cultures.
Now we can say that music is very important not only to adults but also to children. So children should be encouraged to learn music or listen to music.
1. By mentioning scientific studies in Paragraph 1, the author wants to show .| A．Children should listen to music |
| B．Why adults should listen to music |
| C．Listening to music is only good for adults |
| D．Why scientists are interested in music |
| A．shows. | B．changes. |
| C．improves. | D．harms. |
| A．Understanding foreign cultures better |
| B．Learning languages better |
| C．Accepting the fast developing world easily |
| D．Showing greater interest in other cultures |
| A．Why do Children Love Music? |
| B．How to Choose Music for Children |
| C．Why is Music Important to Children? |
| D．How to Teach Children Music Easily |
9 . My family, my wife, Joan, our two teenagers Hannah and Joseph, and I, live in Atlanta with our two dogs.
Ten years ago, we moved into our dream house, a very big three-story home. It was a beautiful place, but as our children grew up, our sense of togetherness (团结) began to disappear slowly. In the big house, we sometimes seemed to be strangers to each other.
One day when Hannah was 14, she became upset about the difference between the world’s haves and the have-nots. She expected us to be “a family that makes a difference in the world, even if it’s a small difference. ” Joan asked her, “What are you willing to sacrifice? Your house? Your room? ” Hannah said yes to both. After talking it over as a family, we decided to sell our house and move to one that was half its size and price and donate (捐赠) the difference to those in need.
After a lot of research, we chose the Hunger Project, a US-based organization. It works with villagers in Africa, Asia and South America and helps them fight against poverty (贫穷). Our money went to pay for building two centers. Each has a meeting place, a bank and a health clinic (诊所). Together, the centers would serve more than 20 villages in eastern Ghana. We also traveled to meet the villagers and were blown away by their hard work and warmth.
To be honest, we were a little worried at first. Would we regard the new home as being too small for us? Or would we think we had given up too much? Two years later, I can tell you: It’s the best move we have ever made. While we worked together on our family project, we became much closer. As Hannah said the other day, “We learned how to really trust each other. ”
1. After they moved into a large house, the author’s family ______.| A．were not as close as before |
| B．wanted an even larger house |
| C．often went travelling together |
| D．often let strangers share their spare rooms |
| A．Hope for. | B．Look for. |
| C．Give up. | D．Build up. |
| A．To go abroad. |
| B．To help the poor. |
| C．To treat Hannah’s illness. |
| D．To save money for the future. |
| A．It was well worth it. | B．It was a bad decision. |
| C．It was a waste of money. | D．It wasn’t as satisfying as expected. |
10 . Bradley McConachie, a 33-year-old Australian is actually a student in international relations completing his PhD through Griffith University. He came to Beijing for a cooperative research at Beijing University two years ago. Such an academic life was colorful with a chance offered by the cultural exchanges project, “I'm in China".
Bradley was lucky to win the most "likes" for his photo story about his life in China and became one of 20 winners to visit locations by the project this summer. All the winners’ experiences were filmed to produce a reality show, My Chinese Working Day, which will be broadcast by mid-September.
Bradley was chosen to work as a recreational manager for a Chinese wedding. The film crew took them to many “amazing sites" and the staff at the resort taught them a lot about how to incorporate modern Chinese features while still keeping traditional customs.
“I would have to say two things stick out as the most memorable： the helicopter ride and talking with the staff at the hotel about how they organize weddings here in China," he said. That was Bradley's first time to be in a helicopter, and he was too absorbed with the “stunning" view of the coastline.
“I think it is so important to show other Australians the different landscapes China has to offer. I think so many Australians, when they think about China, imagine the historical sites of Beijing and the exciting things to see in Shanghai but have no idea about other beautiful places, like Sanya or the many other places people have been taken to in this TV series. It was nice to experience these little touches. I was happy to be a part of that experience!” Bradley said.
1. What made Bradley's life more colorful?| A．Obtaining his PhD. |
| B．The cultural exchanges project. |
| C．The research about Beijing University. |
| D．The interest in international relations. |
| A．He produced the reality show. |
| B．His life in China was interesting. |
| C．He was one of the top 20 winners. |
| D．He liked photo stories most. |
| A．Fantastic. | B．Confusing. |
| C．Agreeable. | D．Extreme. |
| A．It's difficult to produce moving TV series. |
| B．Beijing and Shanghai are historical sites. |
| C．Sanya is worth visiting for foreigners. |
| D．Many Australians know little about China. |
