1 . Nature has provided us with many kinds of resources. It is like a great magician(魔术师), creating wonders on Earth. One of them is the Amazon rainforest, the world’s largest and home to millions of plants and animals. Nicknamed”the lungs of our planet”, it produces about one-fifth of Earth’s oxygen. However, this wonderful natural wonder is now in danger.
Thousands of fires have broken out in Brazil, endangering much of the rainforest. These flames have lasted several weeks and are believed to be the”most intense”in almost ten years, according to BBC News.
The Amazon has seen a large number of fires in 2019. Between January and August, there were over 74,000 fires – the highest number since 2013, the BBC reported.
Forest fires are common during the dry season, which runs from July to October. They are usually caused by natural events like lightning. However, most of the fires this year are believed to be caused by farmers, who use fire as a traditional part of tropical agriculture(农业) to clean land, reported CNN.
“It’s the best time to burn because the plants are dry. Farmers wait for the dry season and they start burning and clearing the areas so that their cattle can have grass,”wrote CNN meteorologist Haley Brink.
The disaster has raised concern(关注) around the world. The Amazon rainforest is important for preventing climate change, said the BBC, absorbing millions of tons of carbon annually. When trees are cut down or burned, the rainforest’s ability to absorb carbon is reduced.
Brazilian climate expert Carlos Nobre told Reuters he’s worried. If more than 20 percent of the ecosystem is destroyed, the Amazon rainforest could reach a”tipping point (临界点)”, where the thick jungle will turn into a tropical savannah(大草原).
Nobre warned that it is not far off, with between 15 and 17 percent of the rainforest having already been destroyed.
The Brazilian government has sent soldiers to fight the fires. Many people have offered their support and called for recovery efforts. For example, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said he wanted to donate money and US Actor Leonardo DiCaprio’s environmental charity, Earth Alliance, created a donation fund to help deal with the disaster.
The public are also encouraged to donate to charities concerned with rainforest protection. “Every little bit helps in a bad situation like this,”commented Gizmodo.
1. The underlined word”intense”probably means ______.| A．natural | B．terrible | C．common | D．unexpected |
| A．Lightning. | B．Hot weather. |
| C．Agricultural activities. | D．Garbage left by tourists. |
| A．Global temperatures will rise. |
| B．The Amazon rainforest is close to disappearing. |
| C．Animals in the Amazon rainforest are under threat. |
| D．It will take tens of years for the Amazon rainforest to recover. |
| A．Efforts made to save the Amazon rainforest. |
| B．The possible future of the Amazon rainforest. |
| C．What the Brazilian government has done to fight fires. |
| D．Celebrities(名人) who care about rainforest protection. |
2 . Screens during meals rob kids of opportunities to improve language and communication skills （storytelling, making jokes, etc.）, as well as to develop patience and even imagination as they entertain themselves waiting for food to arrive.
Meals are an opportunity to connect, to learn more about and enjoy each other. They strengthen the bonds that will bring benefits to the rest of our lives. We squander that opportunity when we stick a screen in front of our kids during dinner.
Of course, we all want to have enjoyable family meals, which is why I love Bruce Feiller's book "The Secrets of Happy Families", in which he devotes an entire chapter to ways to make them fun and meaningful for everyone---such as "fill in the blank" sentences you make up. Sharing something good and something challenging makes for pleasant conversations, too. And I've had fun playing Uno with my daughters until the food arrives in a restaurant.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (小儿科）also offers guidelines to help families manage children's screen time. The academy recommends avoiding digital media for children under 2, except for video-chatting, and limiting screen time to just one hour a day of high-quality programming for children ages 2 to 5.
Fundamentally, we all benefit from more human connection, not less — and that's especially true for children. Schools, airplane trips, most jobs, games, even "social" interaction were all once done without screens but now are filled with them. And while we have gained some advantages, including new connections, we have lost something fundamental, as well.
Less is always more when it comes to screens, even if they are effective at keeping kids quiet. But soon after complaining that they are "bored, ” kids have a natural tendency to fill the screenless void （空虚）with creative games, art, exploration and conversation. There are no studies that warn against having too many hours of those activities.
Let's all work harder to keep family meals special by getting rid of the iPads and nourishing our personal connections as we nourish our bodies.
1. What's the author's attitude to the kids' staring at screens during meals?| A．Disapproving. | B．Favorable. |
| C．Cautious. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．Take. | B．Waste. |
| C．Expect. | D．Create. |
| A．Keep quiet. |
| B．Refuse to eat. |
| C．Feel bored all the time. |
| D．Find ways to entertain themselves. |
| A．To introduce the iPads to the children. |
| B．To stress the importance of family meals. |
| C．To appeal for family meals without screens. |
| D．To teach parents how to punish their children. |
3 . In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed by an Austrian conductor decided to hold an international festival of music, dance and theatre in Edinburgh. The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.
It quickly attracted famous names such as Alec Guinness, Richard Burton, Dame Margot Fonteyn and Marlene Dietrich as well as the big symphony orchestras(交响乐团). It became a fixed event every August and now attracts 400,000 people yearly.
At the same time, the “Fringe” appeared as a challenge(挑战) to the official festival. Eight theatre groups turned up uninvited in 1947, in the belief that everyone should have the right to perform, and they did so in a public house disused for years.
Soon, groups of students firstly from Edinburgh University, and later from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theatre by little -- known writers of plays in small church halls to the people of Edinburgh.
Today the “Fringe”, once less recognized, has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theatre, music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts. And yet as early as 1959,with only 19 theatre groups performing, some said it was getting too big.
A paid administrator(行政人员) was first employed only in 1971, and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the number rises to 150 during August itself. In 2004 there were 200 places housing 1,695 shows by over 600 different groups from 50 different countries. More than 1.25 million tickets were sold.
1. What was the purpose of Edinburgh Festival at the beginning?| A．To bring Europe together again. | B．To honor heroes of World War II. |
| C．To introduce young theatre groups. | D．To attract great artists from Europe. |
| A．They owned a public house there. | B．They came to take up a challenge. |
| C．They thought they were also famous. | D．They wanted to take part in the festival. |
| A．unpopular groups | B．non-official groups |
| C．foreign groups | D．local groups |
| A．has become a non-official event | B．has gone beyond an art festival |
| C．gives shows all year round | D．keeps growing rapidly |
4 . Many years ago mathematics was my enemy． I was afraid of it and I hated it so much that you could not imagine．
Then came a new teacher to our village． On the first day， he entered the classroom with huge steps， reached the blackboard in a few seconds， and wrote his name on the blackboard． Some letters were in higher places and some were in lower places； some were as big as the board itself and some were so small that we had to open our eyes a lot to see them； some were wide enough， but on the other hand some were too thin．
As he turned around， the class suddenly became still and silent， trying to make out what it was． As we read his name， we were all smiling， no laughing out loud． Soon we realized that he had a special and lasting sense of humor and we began to learn mathematics in a relaxed and happy mood （心情）．
As for my mathematics study， the barriers（障碍） began to turn into pieces， and the fear began to disappear slowly． What was dark and colorless suddenly became exciting， challenging， interesting and above all simply fun．There was some humor added to every sum （算术） and there was fun in every problem．
Thanks to this special teacher， math became the most enjoyable subject to me．
1. The writer thought mathematics was very before he met the new math teacher．| A．interesting |
| B．easy |
| C．boring |
| D．challenging |
| A．see |
| B．hear |
| C．write |
| D．feel |
| A．his parents |
| B．his teacher |
| C．his classmates |
| D．his friends |
| A．His name |
| B．A picture |
| C．A word |
| D．A sentence |
| A．A teacher made math fun |
| B．First day of my school |
| C．Math teacher's handwriting |
| D．The way to learn math |
5 . Facebook was running my life.
But what killed Facebook for me was when I posted a photo, and five minutes later my son asked me how many “likes” it had got. His question was a wake-up call.
“Likes” are signs of acceptance and approval(赞同). I had forgotten that acceptance and approval need to come from within and had unknowingly set him a bad example.
Before absorbed in Facebook, I spent a lot more time reading books and magazines. I checked in with friends through texts, emails and phone calls.
To set a healthier example to my son, I deactivated my Facebook account.
I’d been in the habit of checking Facebook many times a day, so I had to come up with some new habits. I carried a novel and a crossword puzzle book around with me. I rediscovered knitting. I started taking yoga classes.
I started to remember a few things. My body is fine just the way it is. I have friends who will help me out when I’m in trouble, and I will help them out. I do my best to be a good mother, and our son is happy and healthy. We are very lucky to be able to afford two vacations a year.
I stopped looking at the world through my cellphone. I felt completely present in the moment. The break left me feeling better about myself, my family, my home and my life.
After a few weeks, I returned to Facebook. Now I look at the photos of my friends’ kids growing up and treasure how social media allows me to keep in touch with family. I no longer have the desire to post updates often.
It is not an addiction(上瘾) any more.
1. What made the author begin to realize she should do something to control her time on Facebook?| A．Her poor health. |
| B．Her son’s question. |
| C．Her not receiving “likes”. |
| D．Her mother’s phone call. |
| A．to close |
| B．to update |
| C．to keep |
| D．to check |
| A．She traveled around a lot for a year. |
| B．She developed some healthy habits. |
| C．She tried to make money for her holidays. |
| D．She went to the gym as often as she could. |
| A．It was good for her eyes. |
| B．It stopped her getting news. |
| C．It distanced her from her friends. |
| D．It gave her time to find beauty in life. |
| A．She supports them completely. |
| B．She is strongly against them. |
| C．She thinks they are useful but shouldn’t be overused. |
| D．She thinks they are not harmful at all. |
6 . The outstanding biography — from the same author who brought us Steve Jobs and Einstein —portrays the life of the complicated Renaissance (文艺复兴时期的) artist with details. We come to see da Vinci as not only an inventor of musical instruments and early flying machines, but also a notebook keeper and vegetarian (素食者), who had trouble finishing many of the projects and paintings he started.
Yet what is most thrilling is getting to know da Vinci the scientist. Isaacson explains how loving science and applying the scientific method to observing the world was really what made da Vinci a great artist and, Isaacson argues, a genius.
Da Vinci was fascinated with observing and understanding phenomena in nature, from the proportions of the human body to how the muscles of the lips moved. He wanted to know about everything around him, in minute detail, Isaacson writes. He wondered about questions “most people over the age of ten no longer puzzle about”— for instance, how the tongue of a woodpecker works.
To learn about the world, da Vinci combined his own observations with experimentation. Never formally schooled, “he preferred to induce from experiments rather than deduce from theoretical principles,” Isaacson explains. He recorded his observations, looked for patterns among them, and then tested those patterns through additional observation and experimentation.
When he became fascinated with the idea that he could invent flying machines, three and a half centuries before the Wright brothers flew the first airplane, he observed various birds and filled notebooks with the function and speed at which their wings flapped. That’s why Isaacson calls da Vinci an exemplar of this scientific method.”He goes on:“Galileo, born 112 years after Leonardo, is usually credited with being the first to develop this kind of approach and is often regarded as the father of modern science,” the historian Fritjof Capra wrote. “There can be no doubt that this honor would have been bestowed (赐予) on Leonardo da Vinci had he published his scientific writings during his lifetime, or had his notebooks been widely studied soon after his death.”
Da Vinci’s emphasis on empirical observation also helped him improve his art. First, he was able to use what he learned from looking at nature to paint and draw. His studies of the body, animals, motion, shadow and light, perspective and proportion helped him better understand what he was seeing in front of him, and render it in art more accurately and finely than anyone else of his time. He also used his observations of nature to make connections among phenomena. A recorder (竖笛) was like a larynx (喉管) in the throat. Here’s Isaacson again: What Leonardo probably began as four distinct elements ended up woven together in a way that illustrates a fundamental theme in his art and science: the interconnectedness of nature, the unity of its patterns, and the similarity between the workings of the human body and those of the earth.
Most importantly, his curiosity-driven explorations, and ability to connect art and science, helped him innovate in his work. They helped him think differently, Isaacson argues. Da Vinci made surprisingly diverse series of discoveries, including conceptualizing the helicopter and solar power and advancing knowledge about everything from the reproductive organs to botany. This genius is also what drew Isaacson to Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs as subjects: They’re all innovators who were inspired by and drew connections between art and science.
“Leonardo da Vinci is the ultimate example of the main theme of my previous biographies: how the ability to make connections across disciplines — arts and sciences, humanities and technology — is a key to innovation, imagination, and genius,” Isaacson writes. And this wonderful book is a reminder, in a time of increasingly narrow specialization and focus, that the methods of Renaissance men like da Vinci are as relevant as ever.
1. What is the highlight of da Vinci’s biography?| A．His unfinished paintings. |
| B．His preference for vegetables. |
| C．His spirit of exploring science. |
| D．His opposition to formal education. |
| A．He was used to skipping school. |
| B．He kept his childhood’s sense of curiosity. |
| C．He was filled with ambition to become an artist and inventor. |
| D．He developed a fascination with historical novels. |
| A．To introduce his important findings. |
| B．To memorize the father of modern science. |
| C．To show the prejudice faced by da Vinci during his lifetime. |
| D．To illustrate the significance of da Vinci’s research method. |
| A．express | B．mix | C．confirm | D．associate |
| A．They are too complicated to understand. |
| B．They focus on the workings of the human body. |
| C．They are more accurate than modern methods. |
| D．They still apply to contemporary scientific research. |
| A．How a Genius Changed the World |
| B．The Features of Renaissance Art |
| C．How Science Shaped His Art |
| D．The Comparison between Induction and Deduction |
7 . Robots have always had certain advantages over humans. They’re typically made of more durable materials than the soft tissue covering human bodies and since they can be repaired in the event of damage, they can basically “live” forever. But robots are usually heavy and awkward, and humans have always had a huge advantage in terms of dexterity.
Thanks to the mad scientists at Boston Dynamics, that appears to be changing. The humanoid Atlas robot, which has already showed incredibly impressive human-like abilities, just keeps getting better and better, and a new video by the company shows that its fluidity(流畅) of movement has now easily surpassed your own (and mine).
Atlas has slowly but surely been learning a lot of new skills over the past few years. It’s graduated from holding boxes and awkwardly walking to sprinting(冲刺) over obstacles and navigating(导航) all manner of difficult terrain(地形).
This latest show is an evolution of those skills, with the robot showcasing its ability to fall down, spin in the air, and even do a respectable handstand. It’s essentially a full-fledged(经过充分训练的) gymnastics routine being performed by a robot. Whether that’s awesome or scary depends on your point of view.
We created the maneuvers(招式) using new techniques that streamline the development process. First, an optimization algorithm(优化算法) transforms high-level descriptions of each maneuver into dynamically-feasible(动态可行的) reference motions. Then Atlas tracks the motions using a model predictive controller that smoothly blends from one maneuver to the next. Using this approach, we developed the routine significantly faster than previous Atlas routines, with a performance success rate of about 80%.
Still, being able to pull this off four out of five times is nothing to laugh at, and if Atlas is indeed learning things faster than ever before, we’ll likely be seeing even more impressive routines in the near future.
1. The word “dexterity” in Paragraph 1 means to be _________.| A．violent | B．flexible |
| C．light | D．stupid |
| A．awesome | B．scary |
| C．promising | D．doubtful |
| A．To show how Atlas made full-fledged gymnastics routine. |
| B．To explain how Atlas got the new maneuvers. |
| C．To promote the development of robots |
| D．To introduce the theory of Atlas. |
| A．Robots have always had certain advantages over humans. |
| B．Robots likely have more development in the near future. |
| C．Atlas can do everything that we want him to do. |
| D．Atlas is a fully-trained gymnast with a lot of skills. |
8 . When she first started learning about climate change from one of her elders, Fawn Sharp was invited on a helicopter flight over the Olympic Mountains to survey the Mount Anderson glacier.
But the glacier was gone, melted away by the warming climate.
Sharp, president of the Quinault Indian Nation, Washington, US, remembers a deep sense of loss when she discovered the glacier wasn’t there anymore.
Loss is a growing issue for people working and living on the front lines of climate change. And that gave Jennifer Wren Atkinson, a full-time lecturer at the University of Washington Bothell, US, an idea for a class.
This quarter, she taught students on the Bothell campus about the emotional burdens of environmental study. She drew on the experiences of Native American tribes (部落), scientists and activists, and asked her 24 students to face the reality that there is no easy fix – that “this is such an intractable problem that they’re going to be dealing with it for the rest of their lives.”
Student Cody Dillon used to be a climate science skeptic (怀疑论者). Then he did his own reading and research, and changed his mind.
Dillon isn’t going into environmental work – he’s a computer-science major. Yet, the potential for a worldwide environmental catastrophe seemed so real to him five years ago that he quit his job and became a full-time volunteer for an environmental group that worked on restoration projects.
But six months into the work, he decided that wasn’t the right response, either. “I didn’t really feel like I had an impact,” he said.
Atkinson’s class was just what he was looking for – a place where he could discuss his concerns about a changing climate, and also learn more about what’s being done in response. “You really see the amount of passion and drive a lot of these activists are putting in,” he said.
Atkinson said she hopes the class helped her students prepare themselves for the amount of environmental loss that will happen over their lifetimes.
“We are already transforming the planet – so many species and communities are going to be lost, displaced or massively (巨大地) impacted,” she said. “The future isn’t going to be what they imagined.”
Lauren Morrison, another student, said she felt empowered by learning about climate change actions around the globe.
“It’s easy to feel defeated, but all over the world, people are stepping up,” she said.
1. Why did the author mention the case of Fawn Sharp?| A．To lay a basis for Fawn Sharp’s further research. |
| B．To lead into the issue of loss caused by climate change. |
| C．To show scientists’ concern about the Mount Anderson glacier. |
| D．To show Fawn Sharp’s work is similar to Atkinson’s. |
| A．To help students face emotional impact of a warming planet. |
| B．To explore how different people deal with climate change. |
| C．To find solutions to the Olympic Mountains’ environmental issue. |
| D．To make students aware of the current state of the global climate. |
| A．simple | B．interesting |
| C．complicated | D．common |
| A．It changed his mind and aroused his interest in climate science. |
| B．It made him realize a planet-wide climate disaster would happen. |
| C．It encouraged him to be more involved in environmental protection. |
| D．It inspired him to work on restoration projects for the environment. |
9 . A young Jewish girl begins a diary just as World War II is about to break out in Europe. She records the details of her daily life, but more than that. Eventually, the diary comes to a heartbreaking end with the girl shot to death by the Nazis. However, it’s not the story of Anne Frank. This is Renia’s Diary, a journal that was hidden for years in a safe box. Now it’s coming to light with the help of Renia’s sister and niece.
For a long time, Elizabeth didn’t even know that her older sister Renia had kept a diary as a teenager in Poland. Then suddenly one day in the 50s, Elizabeth got the diary and started to read it. She was totally stunned and couldn’t get very far. “It was too painful to read it,” Elizabeth recalls. “I just put it in the basement and didn’t think about it.”
Alexandra, Elizabeth’s daughter, grew up knowing about the locked diary. As Alexandra got older, she was more interested in it. “If I could read this diary, maybe I’ll explore some things from the past,” she thought.
She got the diary from its hiding place. When she read it, Alexandra was shocked. “It’s the description of a wonderful girl who showed great courage in terrible times. My aunt’s world comes to life as the diary shifts between a teenage girl’s daily life and the war.”
Elizabeth and her daughter Alexandra are excited that the diary will be published. “It is a story that needs to be heard now more than ever. We should never repeat the same types of racism(种族主义) and hate that lead to violence,” Alexandra says.
1. Why was Renia’s Dairy unknown to the world for so many years?| A．The story is not as famous as Anne Frank’s. |
| B．It was lost in the war and no one found it. |
| C．Alexandra was afraid to read it. |
| D．Renia’s sister kept it a secret. |
| A．Embarrassed. | B．Bored. |
| C．Excited. | D．Shocked. |
| A．She was curious about her aunt’s experience. |
| B．She wanted to comfort her mother. |
| C．She planned to publish her aunt’s dairy. |
| D．She decided to prove how strong Renia was. |
| A．A girl fighting against the racism and hate |
| B．Renia’s Diary is to come to light |
| C．Discovering the history of a Jewish family |
| D．A Jewish family in World War II |
10 . In ancient Greece, Socrates was a widely-recognized wise man. One day one fellow met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”
“Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test.”. “Triple filter?”. “That’s right,” Socrates continued. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test.
The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?” “No,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and…”. “All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t know if it’s true or not.
Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?” . “No, on the contrary…”. “So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain it’s true.
You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?” “No, not really.”
“Well,” concluded Socrates, “if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?”
Well we can always participate in loose talks to curb our boredom. But when it comes to your friends its not worth it. Always avoid talking behind the back about your near and dear friends.
1. Why did Socrates stop the fellow when he wanted to tell him about his friend?| A．Because he didn’t know the fellow. |
| B．Because he wanted to tell the fellow something first. |
| C．Because he knew the fellow wouldn’t tell him something useful. |
| D．Because he wanted the fellow to think twice before speaking. |
| A．Socrates was a great philosopher in Ancient Greece. |
| B．The fellow wanted to tell Socrates something bad about his friend. |
| C．Socrates was curious to hear what the fellow wanted to tell him. |
| D．It’s not a good idea to gossip about our friends behind the back. |
| A．increase | B．describe |
| C．reduce | D．hide |
