1 . I thought I knew a lot about Hamlet. I had been always full of
A.complaint | B.hope | C.confidence | D.fear |
A.Dealing with | B.Agreeing with | C.Starting with | D.Ending with |
A.recently | B.completely | C.hardly | D.suddenly |
A.heard | B.saw | C.tasted | D.smelt |
A.but | B.and | C.therefore | D.besides |
A.moved | B.ashamed | C.tired | D.surprised |
A.mind | B.TV | C.stage | D.radio |
A.masks | B.costumes | C.colors | D.meanings |
A.terrible | B.sad | C.unique | D.common |
A.low | B.high | C.soft | D.sweet |
A.silent | B.noisy | C.simple | D.dark |
A.energetic | B.weak | C.slow | D.competitive |
A.fighting | B.leaving | C.waiting | D.clapping |
A.performance | B.book | C.film | D.lecture |
A.write | B.recognise | C.share | D.forget |
2 . The word “inquiry” (or enquiry) comes from the Latin words “in”, or “inward”, and “quaere”, which is the verb “to question”. So inquiry is not just asking questions, it is questioning into something. It has the quality of getting into something, going deeper, so you can see what you haven’t been able to see before.
When you begin an inquiry, you are deliberately setting out to search for what you don’t know. You have to have the confidence to say that you might be able to figure it out for yourself. And in that process, you get a sense of real excitement and energy. That energy is both part of, and contributes to, what we often call “engagement(参与)”. But in order to use inquiry to answer your question, you have to become good at knowing what you don’t know. I would argue that that’s exactly the opposite of what happens in schools. Classrooms focus on what you do know (or are supposed to know) and leave you unprepared to deal with the things you don’t know.
In some ways, we are all surrounded by a bubble(气泡) of the known. When you “know” something, you identify how your model of the world fits with and explains what you see. Living in the bubble of the known is comfortable and comforting. You see what you know, and you know what you see. But to do inquiry, you have to get good at always looking for the boundaries of your knowledge, and at the limitations and contradictions within what is known. That is what scientists do. They are always looking for the limits, the boundaries and the points at which their theories fail to explain the world. Scientists, basically, are always looking for that “door” from the known to the unknown, where they can press forth and push and, in a sense, expand the bubble of the known. Inquiry is the action you take when you deliberately challenge the limits of your knowledge.
1. What does the writer want to tell us?A.The meaning of inquiry. | B.The way to make an inquiry. |
C.The method of classroom teaching. | D.The limitation of classroom teaching. |
A.has different meanings | B.comes from the English language |
C.has little to do with asking questions | D.means exploring deeper into something |
A.asking for help from others | B.knowing what you don’t know |
C.staying focused in the classroom | D.understanding what is taught to you |
A.The door to the unknown. | B.Within the bubble. |
C.In the real world. | D.In the world of the unknown. |
3 . Wherever we go, we are surrounded by history. Across the globe, cultural heritage is passed down through the generations. It is in the buildings and structures around us. It is in the arts and artifacts (手工艺品) we treasure. It lives in the languages we speak and the stories we tell. But today, it is under attack as never before. Not only are the damages of time threatening our cultural heritage, but conflicts, climate change, globalization and tourism are all exacting a heavy price. Technology is now the most essential weapon in the battle. Here’s how technology is preserving our cultural heritage.
As you can imagine, creating the replicas (复制品) via crowd sourced 2D images is extremely time-consuming. Increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms (算法) are being used to do all the required sourcing, allowing millions of images to be stored in a matter of hours. AI will also make restoration and preservation of existing cultural heritage far easier and vastly superior to previous methods.
Virtual reality (VR) technology will play a leading role in preserving our cultural heritage in the coming years. Many of the most important sites and architecture are extremely fragile. Human interaction with these locations is doing a great deal of harm. Wastes accumulate everywhere, causing enormous problems. As more cultural heritage sites and objects are digitally mapped and recorded, VR technology will increasingly become the way that people experience them. We’ll all eventually be able to walk through places, look at (and touch!) artifacts and works of art without ever seeing them with our own eyes.
Finally, our cultural heritage will be preserved via technology. Efforts in research, innovation, data sharing and project work will help promote and preserve the cultural heritage of countries all across the world.
1. What does the underlined word “exacting” in paragraph 1 mean?A.Paying. | B.Cutting. | C.Receiving. | D.Demanding. |
A.It generates 2D images. | B.It makes restoration easier. |
C.It makes preservation safer. | D.It creates replicas in seconds. |
A.By recycling huge amounts of waste. | B.By reducing human impact on the site. |
C.By forbidding visitors from touching artifacts. | D.By educating people about the sites’ importance. |
A.Ignoring. | B.Compromising. | C.Approving. | D.Disagreeing. |
4 . A new study finds that less than seven percent of the adult population in the US have what health experts consider good cardiometabolic (心脏代谢) health.
Using information on roughly 55,000 people over the age of 20, the results show just 6.8 percent of American adults reached optimal (最佳的) levels of health in 2018. Moreover, the study found American health has been in sharp decline over the last 20 years. In 1999, one in three adults had a healthy weight. By 2018, that number fell to just one in four Americans. At the same time, three in five people were free of diabetes in 1999. By 2018, however, more than six in ten adults had the condition!
“These numbers are striking. It’s deeply problematic that in the United States, fewer than 1 in 15 adults have optimal cardiometabolic health,” says Meghan O’Hearn, one of the researchers from Tufts University. “We need a complete overhaul (革新) of our healthcare system, food system, and living conditions, because this is a crisis for everyone.”
Instead of just looking for signs of disease, the team focused their study on the signs of good, moderate, and poor cardiometabolic health. “Disease is not the only problem,” O’Hearn explains. “We don’t just want to be free of disease. We want to achieve optimal health and well-being.”
Researchers also found large health gaps between US adults of different genders, ages, and education levels. Specifically, the study found Americans with less education were half as likely to be in peak cardiometabolic health.
O’Hearn adds, “Identifying these individuals and addressing their health conditions and lifestyle early is critical to reducing growing healthcare burdens. Its impacts on national healthcare spending and the financial health of the entire economy are enormous. And these conditions are largely preventable. We have the public health and clinical interventions and policies to be able to address these problems.”
1. What percentage of American adults had optimal cardiometabolic health in 2018?A.Over 7 percent. | B.Just 6.8 percent. |
C.Around 33 percent. | D.About 60 percent. |
A.They’re unreal. | B.They’re acceptable. |
C.They’re expected. | D.They’re shocking. |
A.To find the big age gap. | B.To help people keep fit. |
C.To develop new drugs. | D.To earn lots of profits. |
A.Joint effort is needed to improve public health. |
B.Economic growth affects personal health condition. |
C.America saw a slow decrease in healthcare costs. |
D.Rich people tend to suffer from health problems. |
The concept of “gap days”
Apart from “gap days”, other similar expressions have made
Some people think that these kinds of new phrases better cater to (迎合) people’s mindsets,
Others disagree, however, and think that it’s simply just a kind of “sugaring up”, satisfying one’s need for showing off. For example, “city walk” is the same as “taking a walk”
But no matter how we think of these phrases, they have taken root in our daily lives and have already gained wide
6 . A tree-planting initiative in Kenya has seen over 30,000 trees being planted. The Green Generation Initiative is a Kenyan charity that has been planting trees to counter climate change and the reduction in forest in the East African nation since 2016.
Founded by climate activist Elizabeth Wathuti when she was fifteen years old, the initiative’s primary focus is on developing young climate activists through environmental education in schools and addressing food insecurity in the region through planting fruit trees. Since its foundation, over 30,000 trees have been planted in Kenya, while thousands of school children have not just planted trees but adopted them to ensure that young people learn the importance of acting as a guardian over the health of the environment. The trees have recorded a survival rate of over 98 percent, as they remain tended to from young trees to maturity.
Speaking to world leaders at the recent United Nations Climate Conference in Glasgow (COP26), Elizabeth issued a serious warning on the threat of climate change. Over two million of Kenyans are facing climate related starvation. In 2025, half of the world’s population will be facing water shortage. The climate crisis will displace 80 million people in sub-Saharan Africa alone.
Elizabeth said, “I have been doing what I can. Inspired by the great Wangari Maathai, I founded a tree growing initiative that enhances food security for young Kenyans.” So far, they have grown 30,000 fruit trees to maturity, providing desperately needed nutrition for thousands of children. “Every day we see that when we look after the trees, they look after us. We are the adults on this Earth right now, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the children have food and water,” she added.
1. What is the initiative intended for?A.Making policies. | B.Raising money. |
C.Educating adults. | D.Fighting climate change. |
A.Hunger. | B.Sickness | C.Water shortage. | D.Economic risks. |
A.3,000 trees have been planted. |
B.Green awareness has been raised. |
C.80 million people have been saved. |
D.School education has been guaranteed. |
A.Friendly and talented. | B.Caring and responsible. |
C.Honest and determined. | D.Ambitious and humorous. |
7 . I’m a strong believer in learning different languages, which makes you look incredibly good when you’re in a foreign country and can understand and speak the language. The following are 4 apps that will help you learn a foreign language! You can download them for free.
Babbel
Babbel’s lessons are mainly quiz-styled and use audio, pictures and words to help you with the grammar and vocabulary of your chosen language. It helps you use most of the skills needed to learn a language. Your skills are improved by carrying out different tasks, such as completing sentences with missing words, translating, placing words in order and so on.
FluentU
FluentU takes native language content like music videos, news and inspiring talks and turns them into language learning lessons. The videos all make use of interactive (交互的) subtitles (字幕) to ensure understanding, allow users to save material for later review, and make the experience more enjoyable. Clicking on a word or phrase brings up extra information, including example sentences and other video clips that use the language item.
Tandem
Rather than have you work through tasks and memorise different things, the app matches you up with people who share your interests but speak the language you want to learn. You can then have text, voice and video conversations with people to learn their native language, and in return they can learn yours, all by simply communicating with each other.
Busuu
This app is perfect if you want to learn English. There are all sorts of audio and visual learning aids. You’ll find yourself working through interactive tests and learning tools for the vocabulary and dialogue.
1. Which app suits you best if you want to learn through communication?A.Babbel. | B.FluentU. | C.Tandem. | D.Busuu. |
A.They cover all languages. | B.They focus on grammar. |
C.They contain many tests. | D.They are free to download. |
A.To sell apps to language learners. | B.To teach languages through apps. |
C.To introduce language learning apps. | D.To teach language learners to use apps. |
1. Where are the speakers now?
A.In New York. | B.In Hawaii. | C.In Bangkok. |
A.It is heavy. | B.It is strong. | C.It is old. |
A.$50. | B.$200. | C.$300. |
9 . Island Getaways
Beautiful beaches, rich cultures and untouched pockets of wilderness are just a few attractive characteristics of the best island vacations. Each of the islands listed here has something extra that keeps travelers charmed.
Principe
West of Africa's mainland, small Principe offers blue seas, yellow beaches, jungle peaks, whale-watching with received plantations to visit and locals to meet. Pleasant eco-resorts help, too. Principe is amazingly safe and welcoming to visitors, particularly ecotourists, for whom the advancing jungle is a delight.
Bryher
The handsomest of the Isles of Scilly, 25 miles from Land's End, Bryher accompanies rose gardens with a windy wild coastal path. You can follow the coastal path visiting the charming beaches including Rushy Bay which is a must with fine white sand and clear waler. You can also take a hike up one of the hills to enjoy amazing views across Scilly and out to a Bishop Rock Lighthouse witnessing the past glory.
Astypalea
Butterfly-shaped Astypalea, an unspoilt Greek island, which banned cigarettes in 2019. Pretty yellow beaches as well as churches in the math town. Chora Chora, the island's capital, built on a hill with a breathtaking view of the Aegean Sen. On the top of the hill overlooking the village, sits Querini castle which used to protect the island during the Middle Ages, but now it is the main attraction of Astypalea.
Dominica
Commonly known as The Nature Island, Dominica sticks out up from the shiny waters of the Caribbean to serve as a fairy land for travelers seeking thrills in a place that lime has forgotten. The best-kept secrets of the Caribbean arc lush rainforests, towering mountains, rushing rivers and welcoming waterfalls with volcanic wonders adding unique beauty to Dominica.
1. Which is a perfect destination for those who are interested in ecotourism?A.Bryher. | B.Principe. | C.Astypalea. | D.Dominica. |
A.They have historic buildings. | B.They're famous for rose gardens. |
C.They look like a butterfly. | D.They're surrounded by white beaches. |
A.Towering mountains. | B.Rushing rivers. |
C.Welcoming waterfalls. | D.Volcanic wonders. |
10 . Imagine mountains enveloped in silver water, shining in the spring sun. Summer sees the mountains turn bright green with growing rice. During autumn, these mountains are gold, and in winter they are covered with white frost.
These terraces (梯田) were built by the local Zhuang and Yao people. Starting in the Yuan Dynasty, work on the terraces took hundreds of years.
But perhaps the most important is the way people have worked in peace with nature. The terraces are cleverly designed, with hundreds of waterways connecting with each other. During the rainy season, rainwater moves down the mountains and into the terraces along these waterways. The sun heats the water and turns it into vapour (水蒸气).
Although modern technology helps produce more crops, these terraces still mean a lot to the local people for whom traditions hold much value.
A.Terraces were built to collect the rain. |
B.These are the colors of the Longji Terraces. |
C.This knowledge is passed down through families. |
D.It wasn’t completed until the early Qing Dynasty. |
E.So how did people change the entire mountains into terraces? |
F.This forms clouds from which rain falls down onto the terraces again. |
G.So why did these people take trouble turning the entire mountains into terraces? |