1. What do the club members do most of the time?
A.Practice painting. |
B.Appreciate pictures. |
C.Take part in competitions. |
A.At 3:00 pm. | B.At 4:30 pm. | C.At 6:00 pm. |
1. Why do fewer and fewer people do the cooking?
A.They are living a busy life. |
B.It’s difficult to cater for all tastes. |
C.There’s a wide variety of takeout food. |
A.Fast food. | B.Home-made dishes. | C.Low-sugar dessert. |
A.Ordering food on the Internet. |
B.Cooking healthy meals at home. |
C.Eating at a restaurant in the neighborhood. |
A.Americans’ daily diet has changed a lot. |
B.People like trying different cooking styles. |
C.Ordering food online is convenient and popular. |
3 . “Please, no flash photography.”
Polite requests like this can be found in museums all over the world, but they generally fail to persuade people out of taking photos of whatever they feel like. The same goes for concerts, movie theaters and other places where people routinely ignore filming restrictions. A new patent from Apple may help discourage that rebellious behavior-on phones at least.
The patent, awarded to Apple today, outlines a system which would allow venues to use an infrared emitter (红外线发射器) to remotely disable the camera function on smartphones. According to the patent, infrared rays could be picked up by the camera, and interpreted by the smartphone as a command to block the user from taking any photos or videos of whatever they’re seeing.
Many musicians and performers have banned cellphones from their shows, either because they want their audiences to actually pay attention to them, or because they don’t want the free footage (片段镜头) going viral around the web. Despite this, unauthorized (未授权的) images still manage to make their way into the public eye. The last concert of American singer Prince before he passed away was supposed to be cellphone-free —it apparently wasn’t. If Apple’s patent is introduced into iPhone software, and venues put infrared emitters around their stage, leaks like this could potentially stop happening.
But the patent also raises questions about the sort of power that this technology would be handing over to people with more immoral intentions.
Right now, there’s no guarantee that Apple intends to put this technology into any of its software —Apple doesn’t act on many of the thousands of patents it files each year —and the company wasn’t immediately available to comment on its plans for the patent.
Given the company’s rigid support of personal privacy when it comes to police requests to break into users’ devices, it’s possible that Apple just patented the technology so that no one else will use it. But who knows, if it does intend to introduce this feature to future operating systems, sales of alternative shooting devices like camcorders, or even GoPros, could get a much-needed boost, as people try to avoid having to use the prohibitive software.
1. How can Apple’s patented system prevent smartphone users from taking photos or videos at specific venues?A.By giving out a sound wave that disables smartphone cameras. |
B.By picking up infrared rays emitted by the cameras when they are filming. |
C.By using infrared rays that can remotely block camera usage on smartphones. |
D.By automatically deleting photos or videos if they are taken without permission. |
A.To make the performers more focused on the show. |
B.To avoid the unauthorized footage being freely shared and spread online. |
C.To prevent the performers’ images from coming to widespread public attention. |
D.To protect the audience from people with immoral intentions. |
A.Unintended damage. | B.Unauthorized release. |
C.Unexpected death. | D.Undesired freedom. |
A.Apple has planned to apply this patent to future operating systems. |
B.All the patents Apple files each year are meant to be put into its software. |
C.Apple may agree to put this technology into its software due to police requests. |
D.People may turn to other shooting devices if Apple introduces the prohibitive software. |
4 . My son had just gotten his driving license. On the way home, I
Sitting behind the steering wheel, his body looked tense and
“It’s okay!” I said, “You’re
“No,” he took a deep breath and
Instantly, I understood exactly how my son felt. Knowing the limits isn’t an
A.pulled out | B.pulled over | C.pulled away | D.pulled back |
A.traded | B.provided | C.shared | D.took |
A.impatient | B.indifferent | C.uncomfortable | D.irrelevant |
A.always | B.surely | C.forever | D.never |
A.expected | B.wondered | C.recalled | D.imagined |
A.passed | B.faded | C.froze | D.flew |
A.pressed | B.struck | C.reflected | D.printed |
A.looking | B.applying | C.smiling | D.accounting |
A.hardly | B.secretly | C.similarly | D.obviously |
A.inched | B.found | C.picked | D.felt |
A.anger | B.fear | C.sadness | D.joy |
A.embarrassed | B.disappointed | C.discouraged | D.desperate |
A.consistently | B.completely | C.normally | D.constantly |
A.complaint | B.reply | C.expression | D.opposite |
A.assumption | B.introduction | C.inspiration | D.indication |
5 . Recently, as I watched my son Nathan play basketball for his high school team, I was starting to feel sorry for myself and for him. His team was facing adversity (逆境) on the court and he was playing in a hostile environment —it was the opponent’s home gym filled with their supporters, and Nathan’s team was trailing (落后) for three quarters of the game. As for me, I had been fired from my job earlier in the day.
During my drive to where the game was held, I kept telling myself “I will find work again in a short time”—I am confident in my experience and abilities. This was the same belief that I tried to instill in my son.
The basketball game entered the fourth quarter with Nathan’s team still trailing. I saw the determination on his, as well as his teammates’ faces as they fought back to not only tie the game, but then go ahead by three points. Then, a player from the other team made an unbelievable shot to tie the game up again. With a tie game (平局) and seconds on the clock, Nathan found himself with the ball and with skill and confidence, he proceeded to make the basket with a defender hanging all over him. The other player was called for a foul (犯规).
As Nathan stood at the foul line preparing for a shot that would put his team up by three points, I saw the focus and determination on his face, there was no room for self-doubt. Nathan was able to tune out all the distractions and nail the free throw with such skill, it was as if he had done it a thousand times.
As I sat there, my heart bursting with pride, it dawned on me that I had taught him perseverance in the face of adversity, and he had just taught me the same lesson. That brief moment of self-doubt and feeling sorry for myself was blown away by the actions of my son on the basketball court. He will play in the finals, but it doesn’t matter if he wins or loses, at this moment, we both won.
1. Why did I feel sorry when watching my son’s basketball game?A.I quit my job earlier in the day. |
B.There were no supporters for my son’s team. |
C.My son’s team was facing adversity at home court. |
D.My son’s team was trailing for three quarters of the game. |
A.Self-doubting and pessimistic. | B.Self-confident and optimistic. |
C.Hardworking and intelligent. | D.Easy-going and warmhearted. |
A.My son’s team spared no effort to fight back and finally tied the game. |
B.A player from my son’s team fouled during the defending process. |
C.My son successfully scored the free throw and put his team up by three points in the end. |
D.The opponent team made an unbelievable winning shot in the last seconds of the game. |
A.Winning Matters at the Moment. |
B.Life Goes Just Like Playing Basketball |
C.From Adversity to Victory: A Lesson Learned on the Basketball Court |
D.From Self-doubt to Confidence: Unforgettable Basketball Moments |
In the summer of 1405,Zheng He set sail from Taicang on his first voyage. His ships
Columbus was born in a port city of Italy in 1451. As a teenager, he loved
7 . As an immigrant from China, my mother loves Chinese culture deeply. She
Why is American Chinese food not
My mother has a deep feeling for authentic Chinese food and restaurants, so I decide to open a restaurant where she and other immigrants can feel the
A.orders | B.cooks | C.donates | D.receives |
A.However | B.Therefore | C.Besides | D.Otherwise |
A.alternatives | B.restrictions | C.meals | D.comments |
A.unwilling | B.illegal | C.ambitious | D.quick |
A.agreeable | B.contemporary | C.massive | D.complicated |
A.complex | B.actual | C.expensive | D.previous |
A.believe | B.find | C.deny | D.conclude |
A.deserves | B.helps | C.hates | D.refuses |
A.make | B.prepare | C.defend | D.distinguish |
A.process | B.cuisine | C.mood | D.discount |
A.differently | B.generously | C.abnormally | D.vividly |
A.build | B.equip | C.accept | D.monitor |
A.careers | B.platforms | C.ranks | D.tastes |
A.decrease | B.atmosphere | C.reflection | D.duty |
A.spied on | B.called on | C.handed down | D.broken down |
8 . Plastic, which is now common, contains endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs (内分泌干扰物), that has been linked to increased risk of many chronic diseases. Parental exposure to EDCs, for example, has been shown to cause metabolic (新陈代谢的) disorders, including obesity and diabetes, in the later generations.
Led by Changcheng Zhou, a professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine at the University of California, the researchers investigated the impact of fathers’ exposure to a phthalate called dicyclohexyl phthalate, or DCHP (邻苯二甲酸二环己酯), on the metabolic health of first generation (F1) and second generation (F2) in mice. Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastic more durable.
The researchers found that fathers’ DCHP exposure for four weeks led to high insulin (胰岛素) resistance and impaired insulin signaling in F1. The same effect, but weaker, was seen in F2 .
“We found fathers’ exposure to EDCs may have intergenerational and transgenerational detrimental effects on the metabolic health of their later generations, ”Zhou said. “To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to demonstrate this.”
In the case of fathers’ exposure in the study, intergenerational effects are changes that occur due to direct exposure to a stressor, such as exposure to DCHP of fathers (F0 generation) and his F1 generation. Transgenerational effects are changes passed down to later generations that are not directly exposed to the stressor (for example, F2 generation).
“This suggests that fathers’ DCHP exposure can lead to sex-specific transgenerational effects on the metabolic health of their later generations,” Zhou said.
Zhou stressed that the impact of exposure to DCHP on human health is not well understood, even though DCHP is widely used in a variety of plastic products and has been detected in food, water, and indoor particulate matter.
“It’s best to minimize our use of plastic products,” Zhou said. “This can also help reduce plastic pollution, one of our most pressing environmental issues.”
1. Why are phthalates added to plastic?A.To beautify it. | B.To make it long-lasting. |
C.To reduce its cost. | D.To increase its weight. |
A.Negative. | B.External. | C.Distinct. | D.Adventurous. |
A.Bury plastic waste. | B.Watch out for the food they eat. |
C.Use fewest plastic products. | D.Never produce plastic products. |
A.Plastic contains endocrine disrupting chemicals |
B.Plastic pollution is a pressing environmental issue |
C.DCHP is widely used in a variety of plastic products |
D.Chemicals in plastic may impact two generations’ health |
9 . Face blindness, a mystifying condition that can trick us into believing we recognize people we’ve never met or make us fail to recognize those we have, has been previously estimated to affect between 2 and 2.5 percent of people in the world.Now, a new study by researchers at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the VA Boston Healthcare System is providing fresh insights into the disorder, suggesting it may be more common than currently believed.
Published in February 2023 in Cortex, the study findings indicate that as many as one in 33 people may meet the criteria for face blindness, or prosopagnosia (面孔失认症).“This translates to more than 10 million Americans,” the research team said.
The study found similar face-matching performance between people diagnosed with prosopagnosia using stricter vs looser criteria, suggesting that diagnostic criteria should be expanded to be more inclusive. That could lead to new diagnoses among millions who may have the disorder but don’t realize it.
The study results are based on a web-based questionnaire and tests administered to 3,341 individuals.First, the researchers asked participants whether they experience difficulties recognizing faces in their everyday lives.Then they administered two objective tests to determine whether they had difficulties learning new faces or recognizing highly familiar famous faces.
The results showed that 31 individuals out of the 3,341 had major prosopagnosia, while 72 of the 3,341 had a milder form. The researchers also observed that there were no neatly divided separate groups of people with poor or good ability to recognize faces. Rather, the ability to recognize faces appeared to lie on a continuum (连续体).
Finally, the researchers compared face-matching scores among people with prosopagnosia diagnosed using different criteria and found that using stricter diagnostic cutoffs did not correspond with lower face-matching scores.
In the new study, the researchers provide diagnostic suggestions for identifying mild and major forms of prosopagnosia based on guidelines for major and mild neurocognitive disorders in the DSM5, the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
1. Which of the following indicates a person has face blindness?A.Failing to identify his belongings. |
B.Being able to recognize his friends. |
C.Mistaking a stranger for an acquaintance. |
D.Misunderstanding ones’ facial expressions. |
A.Do you have trouble recognizing faces? |
B.Do you know what face blindness means? |
C.Do you know anybody with face blindness? |
D.Do you experience difficulties in everyday life? |
A.It came up based on the new study. |
B.It has experienced four revisions. |
C.It is only used to identify face blindness. |
D.It participated in and funded the new study. |
A.A fiction novel. | B.A fashion website. |
C.A health brochure. | D.A science magazine. |
A.He lost his cell phone. |
B.He got stuck in the elevator. |
C.He couldn’t find the hotel service center. |