3 . Scientists have been trying to figure out how to alter the genes of humans for many years, and it looks like they’ve finally cracked (破解) the code. But while this may seem like a great step forward in science, some also believe that it’s one step back when it comes to ethics (道德准则). In August, a group of scientists from the USA and South Korea worked together to successfully edit a human embryo (胚胎) and remove a genetic mutation (突变) that would have led to heart disease, reported The Guardian. This was done with the help of CRISPR, a gene-editing tool that allows scientists to “cut and paste” human DNA.

Although this was the first example of an embryo’s genes being changed successfully, the advantages of gene editing have already been tested in living patients. In 2015, a five-month-old girl from the UK was saved after doctors used edited cells to fight off her cancer. As of today, she’s alive and well. And in the USA last year, scientists managed to remove HIV cells from several patients by editing the genes inside their bodies.

Some people hope that in the future, diseases or birth defects could simply be "edited out”. However, others believe this could lead to so-called designer babies, giving parents the option to choose everything from eye color to intelligence. “You could find wealthy parents buying the latest “upgrades” for their children, leading to even greater inequality than we already live with,” Marcy Camovsky, director of the San Francisco Center for Genetics, told BBC News.

In spite of these ethical concerns, experts say it’s not possible to create the “perfect” human being. Despite the progress scientists have made, we don’t understand human genes enough to give all unborn children great brainpower or amazing singing abilities. “Right now, we know nothing about genetic enhancement,” Hank Greely, a director at Stanford University, USA, told The New York Times. “We’re never going to be able to say, honestly, this embryo looks like it would score high on the two-part SAT.”

So it looks like if we want good exam results, or to impress people with our piano skills, we’ll have to stick with the old fashioned method of plain hard work---at least for now.

1. The underlined word “alter” in Paragraph 1 probably means ________.

A．record

B．change

C．remove

D．increase

2. What was the first successful example of human embryo gene editing?

A．A genetic mutation related to heart disease was removed by scientists.

B．A newborn baby with cancer was saved by edited cells.

C．HIV cells were removed from patients9 bodies.

D．Some birth defects were simply edited out.

3. Why do some people consider human gene editing a step backwards?

A．They don’t think it is an effective way to fight diseases.

B．They are concerned that it could lead to genetic mutations.

C．They think it could lead to designer babies and increased inequality.

D．They worry that it could make parents abandon children with birth defects.

4. What can we conclude from the text?

A．Gene editing is regarded as the perfect way to treat birth defects.

B．There is still a long way to go to fully understand human genes.

C．Gene editing could help enhance human intelligence in the near future.

D．Scientists are pessimistic (悲观的) about the future of gene editing.

4 . When you think of the Himalayas, you may picture tall, rocky, snow-covered peaks. But that’s not true.

The subnival (亚冰雪的) region is the zone between the treeline and the snowline. It is 5 to 5 times as large as the areas of glaciers and permanent snow, which means studying it is vital to understanding the Himalayas as a whole.

The treeline is the edge of an ecosystem where trees are able to grow, and beyond the treeline environmental conditions become too tough to allow tree growth. Meanwhile, snowlines are the boundaries on mountains that separate areas with permanent snow (where snow is present for the majority of the year) from areas with seasonal or no snow.

Researchers used satellite data from 1993 to 2018 to measure plant cover between 4,150 meters and 6,000 meters above sea level. The scientists discovered that the greatest increase in plant cover was between an altitude of 5,000 meters and 5,500 meters. Subnival plants mostly include small shrubs and grasses.

Even areas once completely occupied by glaciers now hold rocks covered with mosses, lichen, and sometimes even flowers. In addition, the snowline seems to be retreating, while the treeline is expanding. This shows that the region is becoming warmer, causing more melting of snow and allowing vegetation to move up in height.

In the past 40 years, 25% of all Himalayan ice has been lost due to global warming. Himalayan glaciers are reducing by about 0.5 meters each year. The rate of glacier melting has doubled in this decade. The melting of glaciers increases water in the region, making it wetter. Receding snow also forces the snowline to move up, providing a greater amount of area for the warm and moist conditions, which are perfect for vegetation growth.

As of now, we do not know whether vegetation will accelerate or slow down the rate of glacier melting.

1. How does the writer develop the third paragraph?

A．By explaining concepts.	B．By providing some examples.
C．By analyzing causes and effects.	D．By listing specific data.

2. What does the underlined word “retreating” mean in Paragraph 5?

A．Disappearing.

B．Lengthening.

C．Withdrawing.

D．Widening.

3. What is the direct effect of global warming on the Himalayas?

A．The snowline moves up.	B．Glaciers are melting faster.
C．The subnival area is wetter.	D．Plants grow much better.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The climate of the Himalayas is changing.	B．Icebergs in the Himalayas have disappeared.
C．Plants are diverse in the Himalayas.	D．Plant life spreads in the Himalayas.

5 . Research has shown that disrupting one's natural “morning lark” (早起鸟) or “night owl” (夜猫子) tendency can result in immoral behavior at work.

Who doesn't love a flexible work schedule? Being able to make your own hours, come in when you're ready and leave when you're done, step out to attend a child's presentation at school, have a midday appointment, or even squeeze in a quick workout or nap as a guaranteed pick-me-up — flexibility greatly improves one's quality of life.

The benefits don't stop there, however. Research has shown that having flexible work hours actually makes one a better person. How so? It's been found that disrupted sleep patterns —in the form of having to act outside of your normal inclination to be a morning “lark” or a night “owl” — can result in strange, unethical, and out-of-line behavior.

Science journalist Linda Geddes said, “If you don't get enough sleep, research suggests you are more likely to have unethical behavior, such as being mean, bullying your fellow employees or falsifying receipts. But it's not just owls: the larks tend to behave more unethically in the evening, and owls in the morning. So ideally, you want to introduce flexible working."

Employers would be wise to allow their employees to start whenever they feel ready — whether it's at the crack of dawn or at 11 a.m., and to allow breaks or pauses in the day as needed — because that would mean better productivity, performance, and behavior.

This shift is already happening, with the New York Times recently reporting that 27 percent of US employers now offer the flexibility to work outside normal business hours, up from 22 percent in 2014; and 68 percent allow telecommuting as needed (up from 54 percent in 2014). With the national unemployment rate at its lowest in 50 years, employers are having to become more competitive in what they offer workers, and flex-hours seem like a no-brainer, highly beneficial to all.

1. What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 2?

A．Ways to improve life quality.

B．People's activities in their free time.

C．Methods to get a flexible work schedule.

D．The advantages of flexibility in work time.

2. What does the underlined word “inclination” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Judgment.

B．Tendency.

C．Reaction.

D．Choice.

3. What is the effect to change people's sleep pattern according to Geddes?

A．They will show their nature more easily.

B．They tend to suffer from sleep problems.

C．They tend to behave immorally in their work.

D．They will get more flexibility in working time.

4. What do the figures in the last paragraph indicate?

A．The unemployment rate is increasing.

B．Employers are getting more free time.

C．Flexible working has been creating more jobs.

D．More employers adopt a flexible work schedule.

6 . Men hunted. Women gathered. That has long been the common view of our prehistoric ancestors. But the discovery of a woman buried 9000 years ago in the Andes Mountains with weapons and hunting tools, and an analysis of other burial sites in the Americas challenges this widely accepted division of labor in hunter-gatherer society.

“Labor practices among recent hunter-gatherer societies are highly gendered, which might lead some to believe that sexist inequalities in things like pay or rank are somehow 'natural' , ”said lead study author Randy Haas, an assistant professor of anthropology (人类学) at University of California, Davis, in a news release. "But it's now clear that sexual division of labor was fundamentally different-likely more equal and reasonable-in our species deep hunter-gatherer past."

The burial site was discovered in 2018 during excavations (发掘) at a high-altitude site called Wilamaya Patjxa in what is now Peru. The woman, thought to be between 17 and 19 years old when she died, was buried with items that suggested she hunted big-game animals.

Although some scholars have suggested a role for women in ancient hunting, others have dismissed this idea even when hunting tools were uncovered in female burials. To examine whether this woman found at this site was an outlier, the researchers examined 429 skeletons (骷髅) at 107 burials sites in North and South America around 8000 to 14000 years ago. Of those, 27 individuals were buried with hunting tools—11 were female and 15 were male. The sample was sufficient to "support the conclusion that female participation in early big-game hunting was likely not unusual".

The findings add to doubts about man — the hunter assumption that informed much thinking about early humans since the mid-20th century. “They suggest hunting was very much a community-based activity, needing the participation of all able-bodied individuals to drive large animals”, the paper said. The weapon of choice at that time had low accuracy, encouraging broad participation, and using it was a skill learned from childhood.

1. What does the recent burial site at Andes Mountains show?

A．The origin of sexual inequality.

B．Hunting skills of ancient times.

C．The social system of prehistoric hunters.

D．Job division of hunter-gatherer society.

2. Which of the following might Randy Haas agree with?

A．Gender plays no part in recent hunter-gatherer society.

B．Sexist inequality is a natural result of prehistoric society.

C．Ancient division of labor might be fairer than we'd thought.

D．Public ideas of women's role will be changed abruptly.

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

A．Exception.	B．Failure.
C．Role model.	D．Easy target.

4. What might make prehistoric hunting a community-based activity?

A．Lack of able-bodied individuals.

B．Imperfection in hunting weapons.

C．Better accuracy of females in hunting.

D．Need for large animals as food source.

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

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

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

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

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

A．they have little knowledge of it.

B．it helps to build human character.

C．it is too costly to stop killing wildlife.

D．they want to keep wildlife under control.

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

A．difficulty.

B．tress.

C．pain.

D．sadness.

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

A．teach them how to deal with guns safely.

B．praise hunting as character building.

C．describe hunting as a physical exercise.

D．encourage them to have guns of their own.

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

A．Hunting to build human character makes no sense.

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

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

D．Protecting wildlife from gunners is extremely difficult.

8 . The COVID-19 pandemic is having a negative influence on people with eating disorders, according to a new study from the UK.

While it is well known that COVID-19 is having a great effect on the global population, a research carried out by researchers from Northumbria University shows that the pandemic raises additional, unique challenges for individuals with eating disorders.

During the early stages of the UK pandemic lockdown, Dr. Dawn Branley-Bell and Dr. Catherine Talbot surveyed individuals across the country who are now experiencing, or in recovery from, an eating disorder.

The results suggest the disruption (扰乱) to daily life as a result of being locked at home and social distancing may have a detrimental influence on an individual’s well-being, with almost nine out of ten participants reporting that their symptoms had worsened as a result of the pandemic.

Detrimental impacts on psychological well-being include decreased feelings of control, increased feelings of social isolation (孤立), and low feelings of social support, the survey discovered.

Through an analysis of participants’ responses, researchers found the negative effects maybe due to changes in a number of factors, including regular routines, living situations, time spent with friends and family, access to treatment, engagement in physical activity, relationship with food, and the use of technology.

The research team warns that the effects of not being able to access professional eating disorder treatment during the pandemic could be severe, causing some people’s conditions to become much worse and—in some cases—could prove deadly.

“Our findings stress that we must not underestimate the impact of the pandemic,” Branley-Bell said, “Individuals with eating disorders will likely experience a long-tern effect on their symptoms and recovery. It is important that this is recognized by health care services, and beyond, in order to offer the necessary resources to support this population.”

1. The underlined word “detrimental” in the fourth paragraph probably means ________.

A．embarrassing	B．damaging
C．beneficial	D．professional

2. We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．health care services are important for helping those with eating disorders

B．the lack of regular routines is the main factor for the negative effects of the pandemic

C．having access to medical treatment can improve people’s conditions immediately

D．individuals with eating disorders have an increased sense of control due to the pandemic

3. What is the text mainly about?

A．The deep influence of the pandemic on the worldwide population.

B．The serious effects of the changed time spent with friends and family.

C．The harmful effects of the pandemic on citizens with eating disorders.

D．The importance of the necessary resources provided by health care services.

9 . When Hurricane Florence landed in North Carolina on the morning of September 14, it wasn’t 90-mile-an-hour winds that officials feared most. It was water. The 400-mile-wide-storm brought heavy rain and a 10-foot wave of seawater. Roads were destroyed. Trees fell down. More than 600,000 homes and businesses on the East Coast lost power. And it was just beginning.

By afternoon, the winds had slowed. But as the storm moved west, it brought great amounts of rain to North and South Carolina. By the end of Florence’s second day on land, North Carolina had gotten more than 30 inches of rain, a new record. The National Center said the results would be “catastrophic”.

North Carolina governor Roy Cooper surveyed the situation in his state on September 15. “Floodwater are still spreading,” he said afterwards, “and the risk to life is rising.”

It is hard to tell how many of the 1.7 million people along the East Coast who were ordered to leave actually did, or could. Even when skies cleared, on September 17, people were dying for help. Floodwaters trapped people on rooftops. Federal and state authorities(官方) in the Carolina saved hundreds of people by plane, boat, etc. Others were saved by volunteers.

By September 18, Florence had left at least 32 people dead. There was more trouble on the way. “Wilmington, North Carolina, was cut off by floods. The hardest-hit areas will remain underwater for days to come,” Chris Vaccaro, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told TIME for Kids. “Rivers that have already flooded areas may continue to rise as more water flows down.”

Brock Long, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said, “Recovery is always a very hard thing for people when they’ve lost their livelihoods,” he said. “But we’re going to be okay.”

1. What did officials fear most when Hurricane Florence hit the city?

A．Its high traveling speed	B．The area it affected
C．The water it brought	D．Its strong wind

2. What does the underlined word “catastrophic” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Extremely bad	B．Totally different
C．Far more common	D．A little disappointing

3. How were things going along the East Coast on September 17?

A．The hurricane grew stronger than ever.

B．Communication was totally cut off.

C．Rivers and streams stopped rising.

D．Most trapped people were saved.

4. How is the text developed?

A．By providing examples

B．By making comparisons

C．By following the order of time

D．By following the order of importance

10 . Looking for a place to take a rest，sip a cup of coffee and have a furry companion? Welcome to animal-themed cafes.

In recent years，the combination of pets and catering has become incredibly popular in many cities throughout China. While many cafes started out offering the company of cats and dogs，others are expanding their range. Some cafes include animals like squirrels，raccoons and even capybaras.

In reviews，internet users have commented that their main reason for visiting these businesses is to interact closely with animals they have only seen from afar.

“The customers love animals. They are curious about these pets and want to raise one at home，but circumstances don’t allow it，”said pet cafe owner Tian Rui，Liu Jing，a Beijing resident who works in finance，loves pigs，but her parents would not endorse her getting one as a pet. The 24-year-old had to admire the animals through videos and images. But now，she can have close contact with an adorable pig every weekend in a pet cafe.

Also，these pet cafes serve as a shelter for those who find comfort in being around animals. “In this place，you can get close to the cute little ones in a very comfortable way without having to worry about safety and hygiene(卫生)—overall，it is an extremely comfortable experience，”said Zhao Ming from Tianjin，30，a frequent pet cafe visitor.

Animal lovers also expect the pet cafes to change people’s attitudes toward pets. Animals like ducks，pigs and sheep have been served as food for many years. People hardly see them as pets. But the pet cafes help shift their attitude from seeing them as playthings to regarding them as family members or close friends.

“Whether at home or in stores，these little animals are there for companionship and they bring warmth to our hearts. They care and understand just like family members. They give us much more than the love we give to them，”Zhao said.

1. Why do people visit pet cafes?

A．To pursue inner peace.	B．To appreciate animal images.
C．To experience a clean environment.	D．To have close contact with animals.

2. What does the underlined word “endorse” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Believe in.

B．Approve of.

C．Prevent.

D．Suspect.

3. We can conclude from Paragraph 6 that pet cafes may__________.

A．change our views of animals

B．teach us how to look after pets better

C．show us the importance of having pets

D．remind us to value our family and friends

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Cafes Enjoy Great Popularity	B．Ideal Shelters for Lovely Animals
C．Animals Turn into Companions	D．Animal Lovers from Different Cities