1 . Cindy Soule is a teacher in Portland, Maine, an area known to have extremely cold and snowy winters. But cold weather doesn't stop Soule and her students from continuing with outdoor learning during the COVID-19.
Earlier in the school year, students in Soule's fourth-grade class had outdoor lessons. Then, the snow came. Wearing warm clothes, the students took their school supplies outside in buckets. Then, they turned the buckets over, put them down in the snow, took a seat and went to work. The lesson that day centered on snow and the formation of snowflakes.
Schools across the U.S. have pushed for outdoor learning to keep students and teachers safe. Infectious disease experts worldwide have noted that the virus spreads less easily outdoors. Now, with temperatures dropping in much of the country, some schools have made plans to continue outdoor learning during the winter.
Anne Stires is an outdoor learning expert in Maine. She said "the outdoors is the healthiest, safest place for us to be right now. Anything that we can do to get kids outdoors for longer periods of time is vital," Stires added. "This is only where we need to be right now."
In the neighboring state of New Hampshire, fourth- and fifth-grade students are still learning outside at James Faulkner Elementary School in Stoddard. The school created an outdoor classroom by clearing some trees and building an area for warmth by fire. In the western state of Colorado, elementary school students in the Lake County school district study in usual classrooms for half the week. For the other half, they learn outdoors.
For educators, outdoor learning is yet another period of change. Last spring, it was distance learning. Then came mixed learning methods. Now, educators are trying to keep their students warm enough to learn outside.
1. What can we learn according to the second paragraph?A.Cindy Soule prefers outdoor classes with her students. |
B.The students had a good time when playing with snow. |
C.Cindy Soule is creative and flexible in her teaching. |
D.A bucket has more functions besides being a container. |
A.It is likely that the virus disappears easily outdoors. |
B.Dropping temperatures will bring the virus to an end. |
C.Being outdoors is the perfect choice at present. |
D.Getting kids in outdoor activities is very important. |
A.Skeptical. | B.Objective. | C.Negative. | D.Optimistic. |
A.Outdoor education continues in the cold weather. |
B.Maine has suffered much more due to the COVID-19. |
C.Cold weather stops the COVID-19 attacking students. |
D.Teachers are worried about the safety of their students. |
2 . A group of second-year college students have discovered hidden writing on a page from a book from the 1500s, using a special camera system they built.
Surprisingly, finding hidden writing on very old documents isn’t all that unusual. In fact, there’s even a special name for documents like this: a palimpsest (再生羊皮纸卷).
Long ago, writing was done on parchment — thin, dried animal skins specially prepared for writing. But parchment wasn’t easy to make and wasn’t cheap. So it became common to erase the old writing off a parchment and then reuse it for another piece of writing. That’s what creates a palimpsest.
The writing erased off the parchment can’t be seen directly, but scientists have learned ways to use special lighting to reveal the original writing. But it’s unusual for young college students to discover palimpsests.
Last year, first-year students at the Rochester Institute of Technology took part in a class that brought together many students to take on a project as a group. The project was to build a special camera system that could take pictures using different kinds of light.
Over the summer, the students working on the imaging camera managed to finish it. When they were done, they borrowed several old parchments from the collection at the school’s Cary Graphic Arts Collection. When they put one of the pages under their camera system with UV light, the hidden writing suddenly appeared. Under the UV light, handwriting in French could easily be seen behind the fancy writing and decorations normally visible on the page.
Zoe, a student involved in the project, said, “This was amazing because this document has been in the Cary Collection for almost 10 years and no one noticed it.” The students are even more excited because even though the parchment is no longer part of a book, they know where 29 other pages from the same book are. The students, who are now working with others to locate the other parchments, hope these, too, will have hidden writing and that they can figure out what it means.
1. What was parchment designed for in ancient times?A.Writing. | B.Decorating. |
C.Imaging. ![]() | D.Collecting. |
A.Heat up. | B.Bring out. |
C.Adjust to. | D.Clear away. |
A.Make a handwriting-recognizing camera. |
B.Identify what the parchments are made of. |
C.Track the origin of the palimpsests in the Cary Collection. |
D.Discover hidden writing and its meaning on more parchments. |
A.To tell about a new discovery. | B.To recommend a special book. |
C.To explain a cultural phenomenon. | D.To introduce an old document. |
3 . If you want to help others and improve the world, you still can, without leaving the house. Many volunteer opportunities require only a computer or a phone. We’ve rounded up four websites offering a variety of choices.
Points of Light
Founded by President George Bush, this is the world’s biggest organization about volunteer service.
History and garden lovers can help make collections more available by copying historic documents or tagging (加标签) images of American gardens by plant type in its database.
Help research cold cases of missing and unidentified people for the Doe Network.
Volunteer Match
This is a huge database of more than one million virtual (虚拟的) volunteer listings.
Got a legal background? Lawyers can review online content for Illinois Legal Aid.
Retired business owner? There are many opportunities to instruct small business owners in sales and marketing, business planning and product development.
Create the Good
AARP, the membership group for people 50+, operates this volunteer opportunities database for the 50+ age group.
Offer career advice to high school students in poor families in fields from baking to handyman by email for Career Village.
Raise awareness about scams (诈骗), especially those aimed at older people, identified by AARP’s National Fraud Team.
United Nations Volunteers
This group lists organizations for peace and development all over the world. You can:
Research money and its sources for young people who start business in Asia and the Pacific.
Brainstorm ideas to collect plastic waste in Cameroon.
Want to get involved? Click here to become a member or send an email to membership @seniorplanet.org to learn about opportunities.
1. What do all the volunteer opportunities have in common?A.They are difficult to acquire. |
B.They require no related knowledge. |
C.They allow one to provide help at home. |
D.They’re aimed at excellent professionals. |
A.Teach the elderly how to bake. |
B.Raise money for poor families. |
C.Provide job suggestions for poor students. |
D.Train teenagers to run their own businesses. |
A.Points of Light. | B.Volunteer Match. |
C.Create the Good. | D.United Nations Volunteers. |
4 . As the pandemic separates us from loved ones, many of us are trying to stay connected through texting, email, and social media, even taking the opportunity to reconnect with long-lost friends.
But if our goal is to feel closer to people and enjoy our conversations more, we’d better pick up the phone, according to a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.
In the study, participants (参与者)imagined having a conversation with a friend they hadn't been in touch with for at least two years and made predictions (预测) about how it would feel to connect by phone versus(对比)email. "We think it's going to be awkward to talk to somebody, but that just turns out not to be the case," says lead author Amit Kumar. "Instead... people form stronger connection when they're talking on the phone than when communicating over email. ”
The same result held true when the researchers had participants do a conversation exercise with strangers using either video chatting, audio(声音的),only chatting, or text-chatting. People who used media that included the voice had more satisfying exchanges and felt closer to their new friends than the text-chatters.
Why? Likely it's because our voices communicate a variety of emotions, helping others to read us better and to feel like they really know us. Hearing someone's voice helps understand each other better —in some cases, even better than video chatting.
So, while texting can be useful, it's not the best way to get the most out of socializing. If we're looking for greater happiness and connection, we should give someone a call.
1. What do the underlined words “the case” in Paragraph 3 refer to?A.Stronger connection is possible. |
B.Predictions agree with the results. |
C.Talking on the phone is awkward. |
D.Communication over e-mail is effective. |
A.They can talk more quickly. |
B.Voices show more emotions. |
C.Voices are easier to understand. |
D.They are more familiar with voice. |
A.By quoting experts' words. | B.By telling stories. |
C.By making comparisons. | D.By introducing theories. |
A.Text chatting. | B.Sending emails. |
C.Making calls. | D.Writing letters. |
5 . Flying can be stressful even for the most experienced business traveler. No matter how many times we
With no
“This was definitely one of our
A.check | B.make | C.change | D.print |
A.wild | B.wrong | C.successful | D.creative |
A.bought | B.picked | C.recovered | D.left |
A.missed | B.boarded | C.booked | D.scheduled |
A.painting | B.passport | C.ticket | D.package |
A.comforted | B.credited | C.contacted | D.cheered |
A.musician | B.doctor | C.author | D.artist |
A.reports | B.mails | C.news | D.passengers |
A.hands | B.eyes | C.home | D.company |
A.Unluckily | B.Unusually | C.Thankfully | D.Obviously |
A.proposals | B.clues | C.descriptions | D.efforts |
A.agreed | B.remembered | C. decided | D.promised |
A.conducted | B.canceled | C.designed | D.quitted |
A.damaged | B.unharmed | C.well-decorated | D.well-received |
A.simplest | B.latest | C.saddest | D.happiest |
China is widely known for its ancient civilization
At the beginning, written Chinese was
Emperor Qinshihuang united the seven major states into one country where the Chinese writing system began to develop
Written Chinese has also become an important means by which China's present is connected with
7 . My Ph. D. adviser called me into his office, saying I needn't bring my notebook. After 15 minutes of listing my positive things, he looked me in the eye and said,“You are fired from the lab.”
I had moved to Israel from my native India the year before, excited to experience a new culture and study for a Ph. D. At first things went well in my new lab. Then, 3 months before I was fired, I ran into some problems. I made a few mistakes in the lab that slowed my research, but I wasn't aware that my adviser noticed them, and he never spoke to me about any concerns. I’m still not sure why he fired me, but I guess it was because of those mistakes. He wasn't confident that I could complete my research in time as we'd planned.
The first few days after I was fired were especially difficult. I spent hours staring at my computer screen, unable to get anything done. One day all I could do was sit on a beach, crying. I tried to change his mind with promising results, but he stuck to his decision. I could not break the news to my family in India, as the fear of disappointing them overwhelmed (压垮)me. I soon got into a state of sadness and anxiety. Meanwhile, the date for me to leave the country was drawing near, as my visa required me to be registered as a student. I was lonely and without hope.
Around that time, I watched Dasvidaniya, a Bollywood movie that's about a man who has 3 months to live. One line from the movie stuck out to me :“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade(柠檬水)” .What kind of lemonade could I make out of my present situation? My desire to complete a Ph. D. was never in doubt. After much reflection, I told myself that one failed attempt was not the end of the world, and that I needed to give it another try. With renewed confidence, I emailed expected advisers and applied to other programs. Within 2 months, I landed an offer from a Ph. D. program in Italy. I accepted it and relocated to Europe, happy that my goal of completing a Ph. D. was alive once again.
I’m thankful that I didn't give up on my dream and that I found another professor willing to take me on.
1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?A.The personality of the adviser. |
B.The author's problems in study. |
C.The possible reason for the author's being fired. |
D.The author's difficulty in adapting to a new culture. |
A.He applied for a new visa. |
B.He got addicted to computer games. |
C.He tried to change the adviser's mind. |
D.He shared the news with his family in India. |
A.Persuading the adviser to let him stay. |
B.Being responsible for different programs. |
C.Holding the belief to get a doctor's degree. |
D.Getting accepted by another Ph. D. program. |
A.Direction is more important than effort, |
B.Turn to movies for comfort when in trouble. |
C.A doctor’s degree is important for the future. |
D.Difficulties in life can be turned into something positive. |
8 . Salad seeds(生菜种子)that went on a round trip to outer space and back grew at a slightly slower rate than the ones on earth, scientists have found, thanks to thousands of young people who helped conduct an out-of-this-world experiment.
The project started in 2015, when British astronaut (宇航员)Tim Peake took a million rocket seeds with him on his journey to the International Space Station (ISS). The seeds spent six months there before they were sent back to Earth in 2016. In a message sent from the ISS, Peake said the science experiment was to find out if the conditions in space affected the seeds' ability to grow.
Around 600,000 pupils at 8,600 schools in the UK were then asked to grow the rocket seeds that had been to space, along with regular seeds that had never left the planet. Peake described the experiment as "one of the largest and most inspirational experiments of its kind".
The results of the study, which have just been published, found that the space seeds grew more slowly than the ones that had stayed on Earth. Researchers on the experiment said this was due to the stresses of space travel, such as the zero-gravity (零重力)atmosphere and high levels of cosmic rays(宇宙射线),which slowed the growth of the plants.
Now researchers are hopeful that if the seeds are properly protected, it might be possible to grow plants during future space tasks to other planets. Dr Jake Chandler, from University of London, who led the study, said,“ The possibility of eating home-grown salad on Mars may be one small step closer.
1. Why did Tim Peake take seeds to ISS?A.To explore the secret to gravity. |
B.To have astronauts grow salad in ISS. |
C.To promote young kids,interest in salad. |
D.To test the space's influence on seeds growth. |
A.Encouraged. | B.Disappointed. | C.Confused. | D.Concerned. |
A.Health. | B.Science. | C.Educatn. | D.Business. |
A.Space study, a hot topic |
B.Salad growing, a hit among students |
C.Your salad, grown on Mars, may soon be a reality |
D.Man's exploration to Mars, a big step forward |
In a small farm lived three close friends, Charlotte, a spider, Templeton, a rat and Wilbur, a pig. When Wilbur was told that he was going to be killed and eaten at Christmas, he turned to Charlotte for help. Charlotte had the idea of writing words in her web to express Wilbur’s excellence, reasoning that if she could make Wilbur famous, he would not be killed.
In the cool of the evening, when shadows darkened the Fair Grounds, Templeton, the rat, climbed out from his cave and looked around. Wilbur lay asleep in the farm. Charlotte was building a web. Templeton’s keen nose detected many fine smells in the air. He decided to go exploring. Without saying anything to anybody, he started off.
“Bring me back a word!” Charlotte called after him. “I shall be writing tonight for Wilbur’s survival.” “Got it,” the rat said, disappearing into the shadows.
After the heat of the day, the evening came as a welcome relief to all. Templeton kept out of sight. In the tall grass behind the cattle farm he found a folded newspaper. Inside it was remained food from somebody’s lunch: a half sandwich, a piece of Swiss cheese, part of a hard-boiled egg, and the core of an apple. The rat went in and ate everything. Then he tore a word out of the paper, rolled it up, and started back to the pig farm.
Charlotte had her web almost finished when Templeton returned, carrying the paper. She had left a space in the middle of the web. At this hour, no people were around the farm, so the rat and the spider and the pig were by themselves. “I hope you brought a good word which would let Wilbur alive when Christmas comes.” Charlotte said. “Here,” said Templeton, showing the unrolling paper.
注意:
1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“What does it say?” asked Charlotte. “You have to spell the word for me.”
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wilbur said, “Charlotte, do you really think my master will not kill me with the help of the word?”
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10 . Do you still remember the scene in the famous movie Titanic, directed by Cameron, where Jack was frozen to death in the icy cold water so that Rose could survive on the floating door alone? It broke many people’s hearts. Two decades later, people are still asking the question, “wasn’t there enough room on the door for both of them?” Cameron once responded by saying it wasn’t a question of room, but buoyancy(浮力)— if both of them had tried to stay on the door, he argued, the whole thing would sink.
But several guys from “Mythbusters”, an Australian-American science entertainment television program, decided to put the theory to the test themselves. They discovered that if Rose had took off her life jacket to the bottom of the door, there would have been enough buoyancy to keep both of them afloat.
“It was an artistic choice, the thing was just big enough to hold her, and not big enough to hold him,” Cameron said. “I think it’s all kind of silly, really, that we’re having this discussion 20 years later. But it does show that the film was effective in making Jack so attractive to the audience that it hurts them to see him die. The film is about death and separation; he had to die.”
Since Jack was doomed to die, Cameron said, it could have happened in a variety of different ways. It’s not about the door not being big enough: that’s just a practical method for his death. “Whether it was that, or whether a chimney(烟囱)fell on him, he was going down,” Cameron said. “It’s called art: things happen for artistic reasons, not for physics reasons.”
1. According to Cameron, why can’t audience accept Jack’s death?A.They are artistic people. | B.They like the movie. |
C.They love Jack. | D.They are eager for truth. |
A.Jack died by accident. | B.Jack’s death was unavoidable. |
C.The chimney fell on Jack. | D.The door could make a difference. |
A.Jack Had to Die | B.A Door of Life and Death |
C.Audience Knew Better | D.Science Behind Movie |
A.A popular magazine. | B.A movie poster. |
C.A government report. | D.A notice board. |