1 . Scientists in the Netherlands have trained bees to identify COVID-19 through their sense of smell, according to a press release from Wageningen University. The research was conducted on more than 150 bees in Wageningen University’s research lab.
The scientists trained the bees by giving them a treat — a sugar-water solution — every time they were exposed (暴露于) to the smell of samples (样本) infected with COVID-19. Each time the bees were exposed to a non-infected sample, they wouldn’t get a reward. Eventually, the bees could identify an infected sample within a few seconds — and would then stick out their tongues like clockwork to collect the sugar water.
Bees aren’t the first animals to detect COVID-19 by smell. Researchers have also trained dogs to tell the difference between positive and negative COVID-19 samples from human saliva (唾液) or sweat with fairly high levels of accuracy. A German study found that dogs could identify positive COVID-19 samples 94% of the time. That’s because the coronavirus (冠状病毒) makes an infected person’s body smell slightly different from those of a non-infected person. But researchers still aren’t sure whether animals are the best bet for smelling out COVID-19 cases outside the lab.
“No one is saying they can replace a PCR machine, but they could be very promising,” Holger Volk, a neurologist, told Nature. PCR machines are what lab technicians use to process standard COVID-19 tests. At the very least, certain animals could be useful for identifying COVID-19 in places or countries in which high-tech lab equipment is not enough or inaccessible.
Wageningen scientists are working on a machine that can train bees at once. Then bees can use their skills to test for coronavirus aerosols (气溶胶) in the surrounding environment.
1. How did the researchers teach the bees to identify COVID-19?| A．By offering bees some rewards. | B．By infecting bees with the virus. |
| C．By raising bees with sugar water. | D．By exposing bees to infected humans. |
| A．They can watch for the hidden virus. |
| B．They have a sharp sense of smell. |
| C．They can feel samples’ inner changes. |
| D．They react more quickly than bees. |
| A．To keep track of more bees. | B．To detect coronavirus aerosols. |
| C．To help underdeveloped countries. | D．To develop a new type of machine. |
| A．Dogs: Well-trained PCR machines |
| B．Bees: Promising COVID-19 detectors |
| C．Holger Volk: A fighter against COVID-19 |
| D．Wageningen University: A leader in keeping bees |
2 . First launched in 2010 by China’s e-commerce giant Jingdong, the 618 shopping event has developed into a major mid-year shopping event that has driven online consumer spending over the decade. However, consumers are becoming more cautious during a pandemic-hit economic downturn and growing tired of more frequent shopping events stimulation over the past decade.
The event was originally created as a competition for the Alibaba-backed Singles’ Day shopping event on November 11. And similar to Singles’ Day, the 618 shopping festival has grown out of its founding platform and become a promotional event across all major Chinese e-commerce platforms. The event is also considered a barometer (指标) for consumer spending capacity and new shopping trends in China.
For those who are taking a close look at the country’s second-largest shopping carnival, this year’s edition of 618 might seem like 2020’s all over again, yet if anything the situation is even more serious.
In both years, China was just coming out of lockdowns which had taken a toll on the country’s economy and led to negative consumer consumption concept. But the timing is different. In 2020, Covid-19 broke out in January and most pandemic-related lockdowns were removed in early April. By the time 618 arrived in June, the state had already stepped in to boost consumption by launching a series of digital subsidy programs over April and May. On top of that, the two-month gap allowed more time for manufacturing and logistics (物流) companies to recover from the lockdowns ahead of the shopping festival.
This year, however, there’s less time for the market—either consumer consumption concept, merchants (商人), or logistics companies—to react since the months-long lockdowns to control new Covid-19 outbreaks in cities like Beijing and Shanghai only ended on June 1, just as many retailers were preparing for the 618 shopping festival with pre-promotion and early deals. Moreover, recent trends make it obvious that Chinese consumers will be even more cautious in 2022 than they were near the start of the pandemic.
1. What was the reason for JD to establish the 618 shopping events?| A．To attract customers to shop in malls. |
| B．To celebrate Jingdong’s establishment. |
| C．To compete with Alibaba for customers. |
| D．To create opportunities for single person. |
| A．Because of its leadership in fashion. |
| B．It is China’s second-largest shopping festival. |
| C．Because of JD company’s popularity. |
| D．It is organized by China’s largest online platform. |
| A．The absent logistics assistance. |
| B．The same tough timing for selling. |
| C．The pandemic-hit economic decline. |
| D．The sales restrictions set by government. |
| A．Lockdowns just ended in early April. |
| B．There is less time for the market to respond. |
| C．Covid-19 outbreaks are more serious in cities. |
| D．Chinese customers are more lacking in money |
| A．measures to close cities | B．limited activities | C．locks to the door | D．downtowns |
3 . Days after Argentina canceled all international flights to protect the country from COVID-19, Manuel Ballestero
The 47-year-old sailor could have stayed on the tiny Portuguese island of Porto Santo, to
A particularly
Sailing across the Atlantic is challenging in the best of circumstances. The added difficulties of doing it during a pandemic became
Learning about his voyage, people bored at home were impressed. He
| A．stopped | B．expected | C．started | D．changed |
| A．shift | B．share | C．survive | D．reflect |
| A．poison | B．virus | C．gene | D．cell |
| A．went on | B．took off | C．settled down | D．set out |
| A．painful | B．dangerous | C．complex | D．important |
| A．save | B．protect | C．discourage | D．ban |
| A．reporters | B．relatives | C．citizens | D．government |
| A．turn away | B．turn back | C．give up | D．give in |
| A．common | B．different | C．obvious | D．minor |
| A．urged | B．forced | C．threatened | D．prohibited |
| A．awake | B．alone | C．forgotten | D．deserted |
| A．even | B．just | C．yet | D．still |
| A．instruct | B．afford | C．serve | D．document |
| A．skill | B．mission | C．experiment | D．exploration |
| A．While | B．As | C．Unless | D．Since |
4 . I’ve spent a long time thinking about one of the lessons life has to offer uncertainty. I often hear,“ Nothing could have prepared us for this pandemic.” While it came as a surprise, some of us have had to deal with times of great uncertainty before.
This was the case for my family when my father began falling over. We would blame the ice. Then just the road.“ Who makes these things so high?” we wondered. Then, he slowed. He began to drag his feet.“ Well,” we said,“ he’s getting older.”
When his speech became worse, it became harder to explain. When did he last see a doctor anyway? We searched the Internet as he worsened—because we felt real medical attention was not required.
Uncertainty.
It’ s uncomfortable. It makes your stomach tighten. If you don’ t fight it, it will seep through (渗入)your body, lighting your brain up with anxiety. When a neurologist(神经病学家) explained the problem, it wasn’t what we wanted to hear. Instead, we opened a Pandora’ s box of even more unknowns.
When we found out he had AIS (肌肉萎缩性侧面硬化病)the uncertainty became a burden. He was losing control of his muscles, his speech, ability to swallow—and we were paralyzed on how to prepare.
ALS is cruel. It traps you in your body. When the future looks so dark, you have to take comfort in the tiniest pleasures. I wish I’d done more. But I was new to uncertainty. I’d never experienced such a lack of control. I was focused on solving problem that couldn’t be solved.
I worried about how my father would get worse. I read everything I could to try and help his situation, but there was nothing I could do. But my dad didn’t live long enough for me to prepare for his condition to get worse. Life doesn’t go according to plan and there is a difference between preparation and worry.
As we battle global uncertainty, it is teaching us the same lesson. A lesson about humility (谦卑) . About the fact that you cannot save something you love alone. If COVID -19 is disturbing everyone, we should consider what we can learn. These lessons are hard, teaching us to hold on to what matters and how to let go.
1. Why is the pandemic mentioned in the beginning ?| A．To explain its impact on the author’s life. |
| B．To lead up to the topic of uncertainty. |
| C．To show how the author got used to it. |
| D．To tell the lessons the author learned from it. |
| A．Anxious | B．Peaceful | C．Annoyed | D．Optimistic |
| A．It makes people stronger. | B．It leads to a lack of control. |
| C．It brings family closer to each other. | D．It can remove the darkness in life. |
| A．Be humble to the unknown. | B．Prepare for uncertainty in advance. |
| C．Express our love before it’s too late. | D．Cherish what matters and learn to let go. |
| A．A N95 mask. | B．A cloth mask. | C．A KF95 mask. |
6 . Now, an increasing number of cities are suspending recycling services, partly out of fear that workers might contact the coronavirus from one another while sorting through used water bottles, food containers and boxes. One solution: Let robots do the job.
Since the coronavirus took hold in the United States last month, AMP Robotics has seen a “significant” increase in orders for its robots that use artificial intelligence to sort through recycled material, and weed out trash. Some facilities that were looking at getting one or two robots are now saying. “We need quite a bit more.” The Colorado company’s chief executive, Matanya Horowitz said , “It’s all moving quite fast.”
Before the pandemic, automation had been gradually replacing human work in a range of jobs, from call centers to warehouses and grocery stores, as companies looked to cut labor costs and improve profit.
But labor and robotics experts say social-distancing directives, which are likely to continue in some form after the crisis become less strong, could cause more industries to accelerate their use of automation. And long-lasting worries about job losses or a broad unease about having machines control vital aspects of daily life could disappear as society sees the benefits of restructuring workplaces in ways that minimize close human contact.
Recycling is one industry that may be altered permanently by the pandemic. Some workers, who earn as little as $10 an hour, have been concerned about coming to work during the crisis and some cities have been competing to find enough protective gear (防护装备) for all of their employees. Federal health officials have assured them that the risks of transmission from household refuse is low. But workers in recycling facilities often work side by side sorting material, making social distancing difficult
At AMP Robotics, executives like Mr. Horowitz say their robots will enable recycling facilities to space out their employees. who stand at conveyor belts weeding through the used plastic and paper.
1. The underlined word “suspend” in paragraph 1 most probably means ________ .| A．admit | B．adopt | C．delay | D．advocate |
| A．Panicked. | B．Worried. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Appreciative. |
| A．Sorting out recycled material. | B．Producing enough protective gear. |
| C．Replacing the jobs of cheap labor. | D．Minimizing close human contact |
| A．Robots cause severe unemployment. | B．Pandemic accelerates automation. |
| C．Recycling industry is changing | D．Social distancing is still important. |
7 . When I was little, my body size and how I looked didn’t really matter to me. After I turned 13, I transferred to an all-girl secondary school. There was one big
In order to lose
At the same time, my parents became more and more
Then lockdown (封禁) came. All my family were
But what helped me most during that time was
Now I have three meals regularly every day. Though I don’t look skinny, now I have learned to
| A．chance | B．suggestion | C．custom | D．change |
| A．casual | B．fun | C．normal | D．strange |
| A．interest | B．weight | C．hope | D．heart |
| A．little | B．secretly | C．slowly | D．well |
| A．pushed | B．compared | C．praised | D．discouraged |
| A．helpless | B．costly | C．shocking | D．challenging |
| A．careful about | B．surprised at | C．concerned about | D．angry at |
| A．looked down upon | B．got accustomed to | C．thought highly of | D．looked forward to |
| A．working | B．exercising | C．relaxing | D．cooking |
| A．replaced | B．considered | C．employed | D．prepared |
| A．unfortunately | B．willingly | C．gradually | D．hopefully |
| A．appeared | B．improved | C．approached | D．involved |
| A．following | B．setting | C．knowing | D．advertising |
| A．education | B．family | C．thought | D．health |
| A．appreciate | B．understand | C．assess | D．approve |
请根据所给图片写一篇作文，内容必须包含：
1. 描述图片，并说明它反映的现象；
2. 分析产生该现象的原因；
3. 结合生活实例，谈谈你的看法。
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9 . Researchers has investigated the impact of Covid-19 related social isolation (隔离) measures on 2,200 young kids between 8 and 36 months of age. Their findings provide insights into the effects of lockdown on language learning and screen time in the generation of youngsters growing up during this extraordinary period.
Shortly after lockdown began in early March 2020 across 13 countries, parents were asked to complete an online questionnaire containing questions on the child’s age, exposure to different languages, number of siblings (兄弟姐妹) and vocabulary development. Parents were then contacted again at the end of the lockdown (for that family or in that area, in general). They were asked about the activities they undertook with their child during lockdown, the amount of time their child had access to screens both during lockdown and before, as well as questions on how much screen time they had themselves and their attitudes towards children’s screen time. Parents were also asked to complete a standardized vocabulary checklist indicating the number of words their child understood and/or said at the beginning, and again, at the end of lockdown so that an increase in the number of words gained over lockdown could be calculated.
The studies find that, during lockdown, children who were read to more frequently were reported to have learned more words, relative to their peers who were read to less frequently. However, children with increased exposure to screens learned to say fewer words, relative to their peers with less screen time. Besides, while children were exposed to more screen time during lockdown than before, overall, children were reported to have gained more words than expected during lockdown, relative to pre-pandemic levels. The increase in screen time during lockdown was greater if lockdown was longer, and in families with fewer years of education, and where parents reported using screens for longer themselves.
“While this suggests that the relatively short isolation did not detrimentally impact language in young children, we should be cautious in assuming this would apply during normal times or to longer lockdowns, given the extraordinary circumstances children and their parents faced during this time,” says Associate Professor Natalia Kartushina, University of Oslo.
1. What can we learn about the research?| A．It involved kids under the age of 8 from 13 countries. |
| B．Related investigations were completed at the same time. |
| C．The 2,200 kids involved had to take vocabulary tests. |
| D．Parents of the 2,200 kids finished two questionnaires. |
| A．Children whose parents often read stories to them. | B．Children who were exposed to more screen time. |
| C．Children whose social isolation duration was longer. | D．Children who were from less-educated families. |
| A．Permanently. | B．Harmfully. | C．Strongly. | D．Potentially. |
| A．COVID-19: Does It Influence Young Kids’ Language Learning? |
| B．Approaches to Teaching Young Kids to Learn During Social Isolation |
| C．Impact of COVID-19 Social Isolation Measures on Early Development |
| D．Screen Time in the Generation of Children Growing up During COVID-19 |
（1）时间：新冠疫情期间；
（2）健康码是根据实时数据生成的；
（3）小发明，大影响。
注意：（1）词数：80左右（标题已给出，不计入总词数）；
（2）可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Health code: a small invention, a big impact
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