1 . It's the best kept secret of modern science: 16 years of the Human Genome Project suggest that genes play little or no role in explaining differences in intelligence. While genes have been found for physical features, such as height or eye colour, they are not the reason you are smarter (or not) than your sisters and brothers.
Very likely, you will simply not believe this and are sure from your own experience that it's "a bit of both" nature and nurture. But those genes that have been found only explain 1%-5% of any psychological characters.
Of course, babies are born different and biological transmission of traits (特征传送) does occur - it's just not genetic. For instance, there is abundant evidence that autism (自闭症) may be due to what happens during pregnancy, prematurity or difficulties during the birth itself.
A.Neither are they why you are less smarter than your brothers and sisters |
B.Nor are they why you are like your high-achieving or dull parents |
C.Your genes decide your achievement |
D.This is not just my opinion |
E.About a third of babies are born "difficult" for these reasons |
F.That it's not genes is extremely good news |
2 . Elephant Sanctuary
Guests are guided in small groups on foot through the sanctuary. Guides will provide in-depth information and insight into African elephants. You will be introduced to our elephants in the forest area, where you will be able to touch and interact with them.
You will experience the special relationship between the elephant handlers and their elephants. Start a short walk with the elephants (trunk-in-hand) and see where the elephants sleep. Guests learn about the inner structure of the elephants and will feed them. On some hot days you may even see the elephants swimming.
Enjoy a drink from the cash bar on the main deck before departure.
Remember to wear flat walking shoes, sun hats and bring your camera.
Departure times
Morning tour: 06:30 and 08:00
Afternoon tour: 12:00 Duration: 6-8 hours
Price: $ 33 (1),$20 (2-3), $ 17 (4-13+people)
Entrance fees, return transport included
Not included: Elephant ride
1. Which of the following is true?A.Tourists can feed the elephants and swim with them on hot days |
B.Before departure, tourists can enjoy some drinks free of charge. |
C.The pricing system encourages tourists to bring their babies along. |
D.In the forest, visitors can have a close contact with elephants. |
A.Park | B.Information Center | C.Shelter | D.Refugee |
A.Introduction to the elephants in the wild. |
B.Promotion of a giant animal and the living environment. |
C.Advertisement of handlers and their elephants. |
D.A visit to a scenic spot. |
3 . MIT chemistry professor Daniel Nocera led research on the artificial leaf project, says he and his colleagues took their cues from plants, which are literally buzzing with electricity.
“What happens is that sunlight comes in and hits the leaf and then the leaf immediately takes that sunlight and makes a wireless current,”says Nocera.
During photosynthesis, the energy in sunlight splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen joins with carbon dioxide to make sugar, an essential fuel for plant growth. In Nocera’s laboratory, scientists replicated that chemical process using a silicon device about the size and shape of a playing card, only thinner. It's coated with nickel and cobalt catalysts that when exposed to water and ultraviolet light, accelerate a chemical reaction.
“So you can literally just take this bottle of water and we could take the chip, put the chip inside the bottle of water, and go holding it up in the sun and you would start seeing hydrogen and oxygen bubbles coming up.”
The hydrogen is then recombined with the oxygen in a fuel cell to produce electricity. Nocera’s work builds on previous research. John Turner of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory pioneered the concept in 1998 using materials too expensive and unstable for commercialization.
Nocera says his so-called practical artificial leaf uses less expensive materials, is more stable and more efficient than that earlier design. He says the challenge is to collect the gases coming off the silicon and store them until the energy is needed. “That has to be engineered still,” he adds. “We don't know how to do that. It will be something that we will start doing pretty soon. You’ll be storing a fair amount of energy because this system is working at the efficiency more or less of the solar cell.”
In laboratory experiments, Nocera's solar cell prototype operated continuously for 45 hours without a drop in electrical output. Nocera notes that it works in any type of water. “So you can use natural water sources, which for us is a big deal, because if you are in rural parts of the world. especially where they are poor, it is really costly to bring in pure water and so, the fact that you can go over there' to a puddle and pick the water up and begin using it, is something that is very powerful for us."
Nocera believes the artificial leaf could be especially useful as an inexpensive source of electricity for low-income populations in developing countries. The goal, Nocera says, is to make each home its own power station. He predicts a commercial version of the artificial leaf will be on the market within three years.
1. MIT chemistry professor Daniel Norcera's research is different from John Turner's mainly in that________.A.Norcera's research outcome is too commercialized |
B.Norcera has found a cheaper and steadier material |
C.Norcera's working system is like the solar cell |
D.Norcera's research is original and unprecedented |
A.an efficient way of storing gases coming off the silicon |
B.a feasible system that is as efficient as solar cell |
C.a silicon device that can accelerate the chemical reaction |
D.how to spread the cheap source of electricity in developing countries |
A.It is convenient for every home to own a power station |
B.It can change the ordinary water into pure water |
C.It has a commercial value for poor populations |
D.It can recycle waste water and thus eco-friendly |
A.Plants Can Produce Cheap and Steady Electricity |
B.Storage of Energy Is a Tough Challenge |
C.Artificial Leaf Tuns Sunlight into Electric Power |
D.Inexpensive Source of Electricity Is Finally Available |
4 . Mr. Everest is no longer an inaccessible giant. More than 4,000 people have stood on the world's highest peak since 1953. Last year alone, more than 650 people made it to the top.
But as the crowds have grown, so too has the list of stories coming from the mountain: long lines over train, and conflict over the value of Sherpas.
For people who want a more drama-free climbing experience, the globe is filled with other peaks worth tackling.
There are literally 13 other mountains over 8,000 meters and some get virtually no attention. They are very challenging mountains that would be an equal feather in someone's hat to climb with many routes still to be discovered, unlike Everest." Mountains taller than 8,000 meters (more than 26,000 feet) are rare and exceptionally challenging to climb, purely for the lack of oxygen at such height. Above 8,000 m, it becomes so difficult to breathers that climbers call it the “death zone."
The Himalayas contain all 14 of the world's 8,000 meter-plus peaks, which are among Nepal, China, India and Pakistan. Among those, Everest is not only the tallest. It's also accessible by hiking for about a week and a half after flying into Lukla.
From there, the mountain is loaded with equipment, including a cell phone tower and Sherpas who fix ropes for Western climbers. That makes the climb far less technical than it otherwise would be.
Why Do People Keep Climbing Mt. Everest? “It's certainly not the easiest climb because of the height, ”said Alan Amette, a mountaineer and Everest blogger in Fort Collins, Colo. I hate the word 'easy' for any 8,000-meter mountain. A better word is achievable. Everest is achievable.”
One emerging alternative to Everest is K2, the world's second tallest mountain -- at 8,611 m(28,251 feet) to Everest's 8,848 m (29,029 feet). But for every four or so people who have summited K2, one person has died trying, Arnette said, for a total of 300 successful climbs and 81 deaths.
On Everest, by comparison, the ratio of successes to deaths is about 24 to one with more than 6,000 summits and about 250 deaths. K2 is a "loose" mountain with lots of rock fall and avalanche(雪崩) activity, Amette said. Its main route also goes up the east side, making climbers get affected by incoming storms.
1. The term “Death Zone" is used to describe an area________.A.that is 8,000 meters high with the shortage of oxygen |
B.where there is the highest rate of death in mountain-climbing |
C.where climbers are unable to breathe |
D.where breathers are very likely to die due to the height. |
A.They cover as many as four countries. |
B.They contain ten peaks over 8,000 meters. |
C.Everest is its tallest and easiest peak to climb. |
D.Everest is its peak with good technical support. |
A.more people died in mountain-climbing. |
B.more natural disasters occur due to its loose quality. |
C.there are more snow storms happening on average. |
D.storms are more unpredictable at the peak. |
A.Introduction to mountain climbing. |
B.The challenges of the tallest mountains. |
C.Climbing the most challenging mountains in the world. |
D.How to overcome difficulties as mountaineers. |
5 . Bhutan(不丹)is one of the few places in the world where you can experience unbroken Buddhist(佛教徒的)culture. Spirituality is in daily life here. I came because I wanted to witness firsthand what it might mean to devote your life to
Although this is the Himalayas(喜马拉雅山),you don't come here to climb mountains. Mountains are
You don't have to tip your head back to look at the sky; you can stare
Make a
Make visitors come in autumn or spring, when the views are best and the weather is dry, but come off
A.spiritual | B.widespread | C.actual | D.legal |
A.distant | B.holy | C.wild | D.rocky |
A.different | B.complex | C.unique | D.emotional |
A.damage | B.transformation | C.protection | D.power |
A.related | B.perfect | C.tiny | D.dominant |
A.in appearance | B.in advance | C.in action | D.in order |
A.ensures | B.permits | C.warns | D.opposes |
A.blankly | B.straight | C.hard | D.coldly |
A.confirm | B.challenge | C.accept | D.admire |
A.lives | B.contrasts | C.forms | D.improves |
A.list | B.check | C.point | D.difference |
A.miss | B.highlight | C.enlarge | D.change |
A.visitors | B.people | C.religion | D.value |
A.peak | B.business | C.year | D.job |
A.flavor | B.sense | C.idea | D.trace |
A. association B. banned C. linked D. outlets E. packaging F. potentially G. purchased H. uncovered I. recognized J. regularly K. risks |
Eating out increases levels of phthalates(酞酸盐)in the body, study finds US research
Burgers and sandwiches were
Eating at restaurants and fast food chains may increase exposure to
Researchers investigating levels of phthalates in the human body, which have been related to breast cancer, asthma, type2 diabetes(哮喘,二型糖尿病)and fertility issues in the past few years, were found to be nearly 35% higher in participants who had eaten out the previous day compared with those who stayed at home. The
Pathalates are building agents frequently used in food
Pathalates are everywhere, and the health
Ocean exploration changed human history
One of humanity’s greatest achievements has been mastering routes across the world’s oceans. Communities separated by thousands of miles
We tend to hold the view
Since then, the oceans have only continued
8 . For the longest time, the predominant description about renewable energy featured awkward technologies, high costs, and burdensome allowance. In the
But now that these technologies have come of age, a new story is being written. Around the world, businesses, governments, and households are taking advantage of more cost-effective low-carbon technologies.
As in any rapid transition, a full understanding of what is happening has
To be sure,
As the green transition comes of age, it will offer solutions to all of humanity’s energy needs, placing a clean, prosperous and secure low-carbon future well within reach. Yet even as we hug
A.license | B.absence | C.application | D.promotion |
A.invisible | B.unbelievable | C.inevitable | D.unaffordable |
A.Instead of | B.Owing to | C.In case of | D.According to |
A.resources | B.revolutions | C.prospects | D.priorities |
A.caught up with | B.compared with | C.taken place of | D.fallen behind |
A.relevant | B.inferior | C.synthetic | D.experimental |
A.mixture | B.caution | C.conflict | D.approval |
A.in case | B.so that | C.even though | D.the moment |
A.significance | B.invention | C.happiness | D.progress |
A.dramatically | B.economically | C.independently | D.equivalently |
A.interaction | B.modernization | C.motivation | D.transformation |
A.natural | B.potential | C.positive | D.original |
A.influence | B.optimism | C.estimation | D.extension |
A.starting | B.failing | C.emerging | D.continuing |
A.sustainable | B.traditional | C.available | D.industrial |
9 .
The changing population throughout the globalizing world, in particular an increase in the aging population and a decrease in birth rates, is disturbing housing markets.
Since 1970, global average income per person has increased, with a few exceptions as in 2009 and 2015, and inequality has also widened among and within nations. The International Monetary Fund’s Global House Price Index collapsed in 2008 before climbing again to reach pre-crisis levels. Due to these population and financial trends, household structures have changed with increased preference for smaller, shared living quarters and less home ownership worldwide. Analysts increasingly focus on mapping and predicting effects of globalization on housing markets and individual decisions.
Countries at the forefront of globalization, namely the United States and China, as well as rapidly globalizing countries like India, expect their aging populations to double by the year 2050. Coupled with changes to the family structure, especially a childbirth rate nearly halved since 1950 and more two-income households, decisions involving the housing stock are more complex than ever before.
The three countries may share a common challenge: Their governments are not well prepared for rapid growth in their graying populations. Out of the three, the United States could be most affected, as the primary-mode of senior care in China and India is in-home care. If family support remains the top choice for senior care, this could prevent India and China from the possible negative effects of the inadequate public and private planning. In-home care involves family members covering the cost and accommodation of senior members. About 65 percent of US elderly in need of assistance rely on family and friends, and non-family senior care is relatively new for India and China.
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to paragraph 1 and 2?A.The housing markets are mostly affected by the decrease in birth rates and rise in death rates. |
B.Inequality has widened among and within nations due to the rapid globalization of the households. |
C.The population and financial trends led to increased preference for smaller, shared accommodations. |
D.Analysts think globalization has decisive effects on housing markets and individual decisions. |
A.The aging populations of the three countries are expected to decrease by 2050. |
B.Non-family senior care probably remains the best choice for the elderly in America. |
C.China will probably have the largest percentage of the senior population by 2050. |
D.The three giants in terms of population must avoid the challenges from their citizens. |
A.The challenge for the aged | B.Shelter for an aging world |
C.The rapid growth of population | D.Comparison on globalization |
10 . On the night of September 19, 1961, Betty Hill and her husband Barney were driving home through the White Mountains from Niagara Falls. They were travelling on a nearly deserted two-lane highway when Betty noticed a steady light in the sky that was getting bigger and brighter.
She thought it was a planet or a star. Barney, stimulated at her excitement, said it was probably just a wandering aeroplane. Whatever it was, it appeared to be following them.
They stopped their car for a closer look. What they said happened next, changed their lives. The flying object was noiseless. It appeared to be spinning. It was as big as a jet but shaped like a pancake.
So formed the tale of Betty Hill, a New Hampshire social worker who, with Barney, a postal worker, claimed to be kidnapped by aliens, who were from outer space, on a moonlit night about 60 years ago.
After reluctantly going public with her experience, Hill, who died of cancer at her New Hampshire home, aged 85, became a celebrity on the UFO circuit and was known as the “first lady of UFOs”.
Intriguingly, at the time of the incident, the Hills remembered nothing except that they had spied a strange object in the sky. Later, troubled by nightmares and other stress-related pains, the couple underwent hypnosis(催眠) where the full story came out with the aid of Boston psychiatrist Benjamin Simon, an expert in medical hypnosis.
On their night of contact the Hills arrived home at 5 a.m., unable to account for two lost hours. They were also confused by the odd marks on their telescopes, deep signs on the tops of Barney’s best shoes, Betty’s torn dress and strange circular markings on their car that made the needle of a compass jump wildly.
After seeing them for six months, the psychiatrist concluded the Hills’ lost memory about the hours they lost on that night in 1961 “appeared to involve an amazing experience on the part of both of the Hills”. Whether the experience had been fantasy or reality, Simon could not say, but he said he was convinced they had not been lying. He guessed that it had been a kind of shared dream.
Reports of aliens capturing humans and taking them aboard oddly shaped spacecraft were “comparatively rare” before 1975. After a movie, “The UFO Incident”, about the Hills came out, however, such stories increased.
1. When they saw the strange object in the sky, Barney and Betty Hill ______________.A.were astonished at its strange flight and noise | B.regarded it as just a wandering car following them |
C.realized immediately what the danger it might cause | D.showed curiosity in discovering what it really was |
A.Ridiculously | B.Temporarily | C.Remarkably | D.Mysteriously |
A.they had lots of secrets in their lives after the strange experience |
B.their lives were greatly disturbed by the unexpected experience |
C.they wanted to share their unforgettable experience with the expert |
D.they hoped to forget completely what had happened to them |
A.describe an unusual event to the readers | B.convince readers of the existence of UFOs |
C.record how people were caught by aliens | D.warn people of the dangers the UFOs cause |