1 . As more and more people speak the global language of English, Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic, other languages are rapidly disappearing. In fact, half of the 6,000-7,000 languages spoken around the world today will be likely to die out by the next century, according the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In an effort to prevent language loss, scholars from a number of organizations — UNESCO and National Geographic among them — have for many years been documenting dying languages and the cultures they reflect.
Mark Turin, a scientist at the Macmillan Center, Yale University, who specializes in the languages and oral traditions of the Himalayas, is following in that tradition. His recently published book, A Grammar of Thangmi and Their Culture, grows out of his experience living, working, and raising a family in a village in Nepal.
Documenting the Thangmi language and culture is just a starting point for Turin, who seeks to include other languages and oral traditions across the Himalayan reaches of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and China. But he is not content to simply record these voices before they disappear without record.
At the University of Cambridge Turin discovered a wealth of important materials —including photographs, films, tape recordings, and field notes — which had remained unstudied and were badly in need of care and protection. Now, through the two organizations that he has founded — the Digital Himalaya Project and the World Oral Literature Project — Turin has started a campaign to make such documents, found in libraries and stores around the world, available not just to schools but to the younger generations of communities from whom the materials were originally collected. Thanks to digital technology and the widely available Internet, Turin notes, the endangered languages can be saved and reconnected with speech communities.
1. Many scholars are making efforts to ________.| A．promote global languages | B．rescue disappearing languages |
| C．search for languages communities | D．set up language research organizations |
| A．having detailed records of the languages | B．writing books on language users |
| C．telling stories about language speakers | D．living with the native speakers |
| A．The cultural studies in India. | B．The documents available at Yale. |
| C．His language research in Bhutan. | D．His personal experience in Nepal. |
| A．Write, sell and donate. | B．Record, repair and reward. |
| C．Collect, protect and reconnect. | D．Design, experiment and report. |
2 . “I had no intention to adopt a cat that day. I just liked being around animals.” Miranda says. But when she saw Nala in her metal cage, “We made eye contact and I couldn't resist（抗拒）her big blue eyes.” At that point, “Nala was so small. I asked the shelter if I could hold her. Once had Nala in my arms, Nala looked up at me and licked（舔）my face.” And that was when she knew she had to take this kitty home.
Still, Miranda never imagined Nala would become an Insta-star. “I started Nala’s Instagram account in 2012 as a way to share photos with my close friends and family in Thailand,” she explained. The possibility of Nala gaining attention beyond that small group of people hadn’t occurred to her until it happened.
Miranda says, “Each time Nala’s photo was featured on Instagram’s popular page, her account would gain 1,000 new followers.” From there, Nala’s popularity snowballed. Large nationwide brands messaged Miranda about hiring Nala to do ads. “This took us by surprise because we couldn’t believe that a big brand wanted to pay them to take photos with their products next to Nala.”
Nala started life out in a shelter, just waiting to be loved like many other animals that were abandoned. Today that dream has surely come true. Nala has over 4 million followers on Instagram, which earned her the title “Guinness World Records Most Popular Cat on Instagram.”
In addition to managing her Insta fame, Nala is being asked to test various cat food brands. More importantly, “Nala is our chance to share the love to help create a better life for other animals, so they can grow well and bring joy to the world like Nala has.”
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．Visits to a shelter. | B．Love at first sight. |
| C．Power of blue eyes. | D．Duty to adopt cats. |
| A．To meet Nala’s needs. | B．To help Nala be a sta. |
| C．To share Nala’s pictures. | D．To attract public attention. |
| A．Satisfied | B．Amazed. | C．Upset. | D．Disappointed |
| A．Being well treated like many of her kind. | B．Starting life in the shelter. |
| C．Gaining chances to earn money. | D．Being raised by Instagram fans. |
3 . You are given many opportunities in life to choose to be a victim or creator. When you choose to be a victim, the world is a cold and difficult place.“They” did things to you which caused all of your pain and suffering.“They” are wrong and bad, and life is terrible as long as “they” are around.Or you may blame yourself for all your problems, thus internalizing(内化)your victimization.The truth is, your life is likely to stay that way as long as you feel a need to blame yourself or others.
Those who choose to be creators look at life quite differently.They know there are individuals who might like to control their lives, but they don't let this get in the way.They know they have their weaknesses, yet they don't blame themselves when they fail.Whatever happens, they have choice in the matter.They believe their dance with each sacred(神圣的)moment of life is a gift and that storms are a natural part of life which can bring the rain needed for emotional and spiritual growth.
Victims and creators live in the same physical world and deal with many of the same physical realities, yet their experience of life is worlds apart.Victims relish(沉溺)in anger, guilt, and other emotions that cause others--and even themselves---to feel like victims, too.Creators consciously choose love, inspiration, and other qualities which inspire not only themselves, but al1around them.Both victims and creators always have choice to determine the direction of their lives.
In reality, all of us play the victim or the creator at various points in our lives.One person, on losing a job or a special relationship, may feel as if it is the end of the world and sink into terrible suffering for months, years, or even a lifetime.Another with the same experience may choose to first experience the grief, then accept the loss and soon move on to be a powerful creative force in his life.
In every moment and every circumstance, you can choose to have fuller, richer life by setting a clear intention to transform the victim within, and by inviting into your life the powerful creator that you are.
1. What does the word “they” in Paragraph 1 probably refer to?| A．People and things around you. | B．Opportunities and problems. |
| C．Creators and their choices. | D．Victims and their sufferings. |
| A．seem willing to experience failures in life | B．possess the ability to predict future life |
| C．handle ups and downs of life wisely | D．have potential to create something new |
| A．To define victims and creators. |
| B．To evaluate victims against creators. |
| C．To explain the relationship between victims and creators. |
| D．To suggest the transformation from victims to creators. |
| A．strong attachment to sufferings in life pulls people into victims. |
| B．people need family support to deal with challengers in life. |
| C．it takes creators quite a long time to get rid of their pains. |
| D．one's experiences determine his attitude toward life. |
4 . Six weeks before his birthday, Giuseppe Paternò achieved the dream of a lifetime: He got a university degree.
Mr. Paternò's graduation has inspired news coverage around the world, partly because of his age. But he has mainly drawn attention because his life story speaks of commitment, a theme that has encouraged as millions of schoolchildren in Italy and elsewhere faces extraordinary uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic.
Born in Palermo in 1923, the first of seven children in a “very poor family,” Mr. Paternò began working soon after finishing elementary school. “The family was large, there was only one paycheck, we were under fascism, and times were tough,” he said.
Eventually, he ended up at a publishing house where an enlightened boss persuaded his father to send him back to school for a three-year vocational degree. Mr. Paternò then worked for an insurance agency while he took private classes to become a telegraph operator. He used skills from the operator job when he was drafted into the navy in World War II. The job also opened doors to the State Railways Company, where he worked for more than four decades.
It was only after he retired, in the mid-1980s, that he returned to his books, taking theology courses through the Archdiocese of Palermo after a chance meeting with a philosophy professor who urged him to follow his love.
Mr. Paterno's son, Ninni Paternò, said that the family had not expected all the attention. “It's unbelievable!” the vounger Paternò said of his father. “He achieved his goal, but he didn't mean to be famous in newspapers around the world.”
University officials are hoping that Mr. Paternò will continue his studies on waster's course. But he isn't so sure. “I have to admit that in this moment, I don't know whether I would do it with the same spirit,” he said on Wednesday. Still, Mr. Paternò said he would probably continue anyway.
1. What's the main reason for the world to report Mr. Paternò's graduation?| A．His experience shows the spirit of commitment. |
| B．Mr. Paternò achieved his dream at an old age. |
| C．His graduation ceremony was during the coronavirus pandemic. |
| D．His achievement is extraordinary. |
| A．Working for an insurance company. |
| B．Severing in the navy in World War II. |
| C．A telegraph operator. |
| D．The job in the State Railway Company. |
| A．The family had not agreed Mr. Paternò's decision. |
| B．Mr. Paternò didn't want to gain the world's attention. |
| C．Mr. Paternò suffered a lot to achieve his goal. |
| D．Mr. Paternò's achievement is not worth mentioning. |
| A．It's never too late to achieve a dream. | B．No pains, no gains. |
| C．Young at heart. | D．Practice makes perfect. |
5 . For many years doctors have warned us about the dangers of stress (压力) and have given us advice about how to cut down our stress levels. Everyone agrees that long-term stress, for example having to look after someone who has a chronic (慢性的) illness, or stressful situations where there is nothing we can do, for example being stuck in a traffic jam, should be avoided whenever possible. However, some medical experts now believe that certain kinds of stress may actually be good for us.
Dr Marios Kyriazis, an anti-ageing expert, points out that what he calls "good stress” is beneficial to our health and may, in fact, help us stay young and attractive and even live longer. Dr Kyriazis says that “good stress” can strengthen our natural defences which protect us from illnesses common among older people, such as Alzheimer's and heart problems.
According to Dr Kyriazis, running for a bus or having to work to meet a deadline are examples of “good stress”, that is situations with short-term or low stress. The stress usually makes us react quickly, and gives us a sense of achievement — we did it! However, in both situations, the stress damages the cells(细胞) in our body or brain and they start to break down. But then the cells own repair mechanism “switches on”and it produces proteins which repair the damaged cells and remove harmful chemicals that can gradually cause disease. In fact, the body's response is greater than is needed to repair the damage, so it actually makes the cells stronger than they were before.
“As the body gets older, this self-repair mechanism of the cells starts to slow down,” says Dr Kyriazis.“The best way to keep the process working efficiently is to ‘exercise’ it, in the same way you would exercise your muscles to keep them strong. This means having a certain amount of stress in our lives.”Other stressful activities that Kyriazis suggests as being good stress include redecorating a room in your house over the weekend, packing your suitcase in a hurry to reach the airport on time, or shopping for a dinner party during your lunch break.
So next time your boss tells you that she wants to see the report finished and on her desk in 45 minutes, don't worry; just think of it as “good stress” which will benefit your long-term health!
1. What is Dr Kyriazis' opinion probably based on?| A．How to get a sense of achievement. |
| B．How to cut down our stress levels. |
| C．The benefits of doing physical exercise. |
| D．The relationship between stress and health. |
| A．The daily stress. | B．Long-term stress. |
| C．The increasing stress. | D．Short-term or low stress. |
| A．Being stuck in a traffic jam. |
| B．Packing for a trip at the last minute. |
| C．Being late for work for several days. |
| D．Looking after a patient with heart trouble. |
| A．Stress beats success | B．Stress attracts illness |
| C．Get stressed, stay young | D．Less stress, better health |
6 . A rainforest is an area covered by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading（扩大） quite equally through the year and the temperature rarely falling below 16°C. Rainforests have a great influence on the world environment because they can take in heat from the sun and adjust the climate.
Without the forest cover, these areas would reflect（反射）more heat into the atmosphere, warming the rest of the world. Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns，potentially（潜 在地） causing certain natural disasters all over the world.
In the past hundred years, humans have begun destroying rainforests in search of three major resources ： land for crops, wood for paper and other products, land for raising farm animals. This action affects the environment as a whole. For example, a lot of carbon dioxide in the air comes from burning the rainforests. People obviously have a need for the resources we gain from cutting trees but we will suffer much more than we will benefit.
There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, when people cut down trees, generally they can only use the land for a year or two. Secondly, cutting large sections of rainforests may provide a good supply of wood right now, but in the long run it actually reduces the world’s wood supply. Rainforests are often called the world's drugstore. More than 25% of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests. However, fewer than 1% of rainforest plants have been examined for their medical value. It is extremely likely that our best chance to cure diseases lies somewhere in the world’s shrinking（减 少）rainforests.
1. Rainforests can help to adjust the climate because they______.| A．reflect more heat into the atmosphere |
| B．bring about high rainfall throughout the world |
| C．rarely cause the temperature to drop lower than 16°C |
| D．absorb（吸收） the heat from the sun, reducing the effect of heat from the sun on the earth |
| A．We will lose much more than we can gain. | B．Humans have begun destroying rainforests. |
| C．People have a strong desire for resources. | D．Much carbon dioxide （二氧化碳）comes from burning rainforests. |
| A．we can get enough resources without rainforests |
| B．there is great medicine potential in rainforests |
| C．we will grow fewer kinds of crops in the gained land |
| D．the level of annual rainfall affects wind patterns |
| A．How to Save Rainforests? | B．How to Protect Nature? |
| C．Rainforests and the Environment. | D．Rainforests and Medical Development. |
7 . The best hope for ending the COVID19 pandemic is a vaccine. There is no shortage of candidates. The World Health Organization is tracking 34 in various stages of development. How well they will work though, is another matter. On September 9th Astra Zeneca, a drug firm, announced it was pausing its trials after a participant fell ill. Such pauses are common in vaccine development, a discipline in which effort does not always bring reward. In 1987 the first trial of an HIV vaccine began in Maryland. Three decades later, the cupboard remains bare.
The news about COVID-19 in two new papers is more encouraging. The first written by a team of scientists at deCODE genetics, an Icelandic company, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, reports antibody levels in 1,200 Icelanders who had been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and recovered. More than 90% tested positive for antibodies twice — once immediately post infected and again four months later. People who had suffered more serious disease, such as those who had been hospitalized, developed higher levels of antibodies. So did men and older people, both of whom are at greater risk of more severe illness.
The four-month lifespan is cheering for two reasons. Antibodies that hang around are more likely to offer immunity. That means a vaccine that provokes (驱使；刺激) their production should provide reasonably long-lasting protection. They are also easier to find.
In the second study, scientists led by Tao Dong, an immunologist at the Medical Research Council (MRC), in Britain, went hunting for T-cells. These get less press than antibodies, but play an equally vital role in battling infections and securing long-term protection. Their importance is vividly demonstrated by HIV, which targets and kills them.
Al Edwards, an immunologist turned biochemical engineer at the University of Reading who was not involved with either paper, is cautiously optimistic. The immune response to the disease seems to be working roughly as expected, he says. If that continues, then vaccines developed to trigger long-lasting immunity should work at least in theory.
In practice, it is still too early to celebrate. Dr. Edwards warns that immunology has never been a predictive science. There is no test that can show definitively that a vaccine will work short of actually trying it in the real world.
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?| A．Scientists have made great achievements in HIV vaccine. |
| B．The vaccine is the only way of ending the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| C．The COVID-19 is bound to be developed by a drug firm in no time. |
| D．While many people work on the vaccine, it is hard to develop a vaccine successfully. |
| A．Antibodies that hang around can offer immunity. |
| B．A vaccine will not work short of actually trying it in the real world. |
| C．The higher levels of antibodies are, the more serious disease people will suffer. |
| D．T-cells are less important than antibodies in battling infections and securing protections. |
| A．T-cells | B．HIV |
| C．Antibodies | D．Long-term protection |
| A．Negative | B．Indifferent |
| C．Disapproval | D．Cautious |
8 . Baby sign language is a growing movement． Pointing to a colorful flower， Campbell lifts her baby's soft hand， and rapidly moves it from one side of his nose to the other as she sniffs （嗅）．"Flower！" she says loudly． Gregory smiles and looks carefully． It could be a year before Gregory， 4 months old， can speak， but now his mother hopes to communicate with her baby through sign language．
Like others around the world， Campbell is part of a growing movement of parents teaching hearing babies simple signs to communicate before they can talk． The baby sign language has been more popular in recent years． The movie，"Meet the Fockers"，where the main character teaches his young grandson to sign， makes it well developed．
Babies generally begin to talk between 12 and 15 months， but babies can use sign language to communicate before they learn how to speak．
"We know they are learning language faster than they are able to show you with their speech production because that system takes a long time to develop．" says McRoberts， director of developmental research at the Haskins Laboratories．
"They are understanding words before they are able to say them． From around 16 to 18 months， they might say 50 words but understand 200．They understand short sentences well．" says McRoberts．
Studies have shown deaf children learn to use sign language earlier than hearing children learn to speak meaningfully． As to whether hearing babies can communicate earlier with sign language， McRoberts says，"I think that's still unknown． It may not． I'm very interested in that very question．"
1. From the first paragraph we can know ______ ．| A．Campbell teaches her son to speak early |
| B．Gregory can use baby sign language well |
| C．baby sign language can help a child speak at the age of four months old |
| D．baby sign language is becoming more and more popular |
| A．how to teach a grandson |
| B．making baby sign language meaningful |
| C．the movement of teaching babies sign language |
| D．the movie， "Meet the Fockers" |
| A．communicate with their babies |
| B．make their babies learn English fast |
| C．make their babies clever |
| D．make their babies interested in language |
| A．Babies learn to talk quickly． |
| B．Babies can understand more words than they can say． |
| C．Hearing babies can communicate earlier． |
| D．Deaf babies understand short sentences well． |
9 . For sports fans, nothing could be better than watching a live event on TV or at a sports field. But there’s nothing worse than that event being called off because of bad weather. Bad light, a water-logged court or too much heat can cause matches to be postponed. But according to the latest research, extreme weather might be disturbing the sporting calendar more than ever in the future.
In one sport, golf, major tournaments like The Open, are already predicted to be victims of our changing climate. In the UK, an organization called The Climate Coalition says that golf courses such as St Andrews could be under water by the end of the century if sea levels rise even slightly. It told the BBC that its research predicts "cancelled football matches, flooded cricket grounds and golf courses sinking into the sea."
The threat to sporting events from climate change has been further highlighted in a new report, officially approved and licensed by the Rapid Transition Alliance. Writing about this for the BBC, Matt McGrath says that "By 2050, it's estimated that almost one in four English football league grounds can expect flooding every year." This will mean fewer matches played, less opportunity to watch the beautiful game and reduced government taxation from ticket sales.
Cricket also faces huge challenges globally as temperatures rise in places like India, Australia and the West Indies. The report says that stadiums in Adelaide and Perth will see a 60% increase in days with temperatures over 40 degrees centigrade over the next decade.
Of course, we know that the solution lies with reducing our carbon footprint. We could travel less to attend sports events, and reduce our waste when we do go. But this latest report finds that sports leaders are generally failing to address the issue seriously. However, because sport is universally popular and can be very influential, maybe it should be players, teams and their sponsors as well as fans who should promote a wide low carbon message to help protect sporting fields—before it’s 'game over'.
1. What is the latest research above mainly concerned with?| A．the forbidden sporting events | B．the influential climate change |
| C．the severe environmental pollution | D．the rising sea level |
| A．Football fans cannot afford the entrance fee. |
| B．Overheat will largely affect the cricket calendar. |
| C．The golf games will thoroughly disappear due to rising sea level. |
| D．Sports leaders will face bigger challenges to lead their teams to win. |
| A．the constant increase in sea level | B．the fading popularity of sport events |
| C．the changing attitude of sponsors. | D．the effective reduction of carbon footprint |
| A．inform the readers of the worsening global climate change |
| B．require governments’ protection of sporting fields |
| C．promote awareness of low carbon life on sports |
| D．urge financial support from sponsors |
10 . One Australian state government has become the first in the world to carry out a statewide camera program to automatically detect (探测) drivers using their cell phones while driving.
The program came into effect in the state of New South Wales on December 1 following a six-month trial earlier this year, which the government claims caught over 100,000 drivers. Similar technology has been tested in England and Saudi Arabia, but the NSW program marks the first time it has been widely carried out.
There won’t be any signs signalling the cameras’ presence, either. “We have to unfortunately use the element of surprise to get people to think ‘well, I could get caught at any time,’” said NSW Roads Minister Andrew Constance. “I want behaviour to change and I want it changed immediately.”
The cell phone detection camera can’t actually discover people using their phones in time. Instead, it takes photographs of every single vehicle that passes by it, using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse them later. If the software detects a likely offender (违法者), the image is then checked by an employee before a punishment notice is sent out.
Drivers will only receive warnings for the first three months the cell phone detection cameras are in operation. After that, drivers who are caught will be fined 344 dollars, as well as losing five points from their driver’s license.
According to the NSW government, if the AI doesn’t detect any phone use in a photo it will be deleted without any human seeing it, usually within an hour.
1. Why does the NSW government carry out the camera program?| A．To detect the number of drivers using cell phones. |
| B．To help drivers avoid being caught in surprise. |
| C．To change drivers’ behavior of using cell phones while driving. |
| D．To test similar technology like some European countries. |
| A．Cameras. | B．Drivers. | C．Photos. | D．Passers-by. |
| A．Some regular written warnings. | B．No punishment in the limited time. |
| C．A heavy fine without point loss. | D．A make-up test of the driver’s license. |
| A．A road Al camera system in Australia. |
| B．A test of world-first AI camera system. |
| C．The behaviors of Australian drivers. |
| D．The development of AI camera system. |
