1 . An American company has developed a new technique (技术) to make bread stay fresh for 60 days.
Scientists found that a kind of mould (霉菌) caused bread to go bad. The new technique kills the mould and keeps the food for longer time. This means there will be less waste of food in the world in future.
Food waste is a big problem in most developed countries. In the US, an average (普通的) family throws away 40% of the food they buy, which adds up to $165bn every year, about 330 million tons in weight. Bread takes a larger part. In the UK, 32% of the bread they buy is thrown away as waste when they can still be eaten.
The bread usually goes mouldy (发的) in around 10 days, but the American company says the new technique will keep the bread free from mould for two months.
”We treated a piece of bread in a special machine. At 60 days it had the same amount of mould as it was first made,“ says Mr. Stull, the leader of the company.
Although there are a lot of bread makers interested in the new technique, few customers like the idea. They say they don’t think a piece of bread which lasts for 60 days tastes good.
”We’ll have to make our customers accept the idea. But it will take some time,“ says Mr. Stull.
1. What is the key point of the new technique?A.It can prevent the world from wasting food. |
B.It kills the mould and keeps bread fresh for longer time. |
C.It keeps the same amount of mould. |
D.It makes bread taste good. |
A.Nearly half. | B.A quarter. | C.More than half. | D.About one-third. |
A.Food waste can be reduced immediately (立刻) with the new technique. |
B.We will buy bread that can last longer. |
C.Few customers are sure about the technique. |
D.Poor countries are in great need of food. |
A.A new technique has been invented to keep bread fresh longer. |
B.There is great waste of food in developed countries. |
C.There is a kind of mould that causes food to go bad. |
D.Customers don’t like food that lasts for two months. |
2 . For those of us who grew up watching Star Trek, exploring space has been about discovering strange new worlds. And there are plenty of worlds to explore in time, but we still need major technological advancements to reach planets that are light years away.
What we are doing in space today is providing unbelievable benefits right now, right here on Earth. From space, we can monitor, manage and care for our planet. Satellite-based sensors show us the short- and long-term effects of human activity on our environment. Many companies are using their interest in space to help solve problems here, from using hyperspectral imaging(高光谱成像), which enable us to map vegetation(植被) and rain forests, to microsatellites that provide global connectivity for the network of things.
My company, OneWeb, is focusing on what I believe is one of the world’s most important issues: the need for equal access to the Internet. The Internet has become our economic lifeblood. And yet, nearly half of the world’s population doesn’t have Internet access. Space is playing a key role in bridging this digital divide. OneWeb is launching 1,980 satellites to help bring Internet access to people everywhere, and our first production satellites are already flying in space and have shown very high download speeds.
Fiber and cable Internet access technologies already cover most financially viable(可行的) major cities. Similarly, these regions will also be the first to be served with 5G. Poor communities are the last to get connected, and without connectivity, those communities have no chance to lift themselves from poverty. OneWeb’s satellites will reach every community in the world and enable equal access to the Internet for the world’s less developed places.
Fifty years from the day when man first walked on the moon, we are still only approaching the possible. There will be tens of thousands of new satellites, space stations and factories in the coming years to bring advancements in communications, scientific research, monitoring the earth, exploring space and more. This is exciting, but we must take action carefully.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?A.Benefits space exploration can bring to us. |
B.Problems space exploration leads to. |
C.Steps of space exploration requires. |
D.Equipment space exploration needs. |
A.Increase download speeds. |
B.Narrow the gap in Internet learning. |
C.Help people set up and maintain a website. |
D.Enable people to make use of the Internet equally. |
A.More than six decades ago, man first walked on the moon. |
B.More than half of the world’s people have no access to the Internet. |
C.OneWeb’s satellites will make it possible for most people to be served with 5G. |
D.Without the Internet, poor communities can hardly help themselves out of poverty. |
A.The risks of furthering space exploration. |
B.The value of setting up space stations. |
C.The way we could monitor our earth. |
D.The features of microsatellites. |
3 . The cotton harvest is about to get underway in the Texas High Plains, the windswept region that grows most of the crop in the nation’s top cotton-producing state. But Barry Evans, a third-generation cotton grower, has already walked away from more than 2,000 acres (英亩) of his bone-dry fields. “It just didn’t come up. We hardly had anything,” said Evans.
Extreme heat and a lack of rainfall have severely damaged much of this year’s cotton harvest in the U.S., which produces about 35% of the world’s crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecast that more than 40% of what U.S. farmers planted in the spring would be abandoned because of drought. Nowhere is this more apparent than the flat, dry stretch of Texas. The USDA says Texas cotton farmers are likely to abandon nearly 70% of their spring planting. That has been the worst harvest since 2009.
The region normally receives around 18 to 20 inches of rain per year, but saw less than three inches of rain from August through the summer, as nearly all of Texas baked under drought. Much of the cotton grown in the region needs rain. Even those with irrigated (灌溉的) fields are expecting low yields (产量) this year.
The losses in cotton could cost the Texas High Plains $1.2 billion after farmers receive federal (联邦的) crop insurance payments, estimates Darren Hudson, director of the International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness at Texas Tech University. That leaves out others who depend on the crop, such as cotton gins (轧棉机) and storehouses. “Any time you have a bad year in cotton, it has a role to play in the overall economy,” Hudson said.
Fortunately, most cotton farmers in this part of Texas plan to use cotton seed varieties that can resist drought. Varieties are continuously developed and will be adjusted to generate high yields if dry conditions continue. “Even though it’s drought resistant,” Hudson added, “we still have to have a little bit of help from Mother Nature.”
1. What are the statistics in paragraph 2 mainly about?A.The impact of extreme weather on U.S. farmers. |
B.The world’s cotton distribution. |
C.USDA’s measures to address drought. |
D.The amount of U.S. cotton harvest in 2009. |
A.Texas is unfriendly to cotton farmers. | B.Cotton is vital to the American economy. |
C.Farmers depend much on Mother Nature. | D.Cotton gins are unaffected by cotton losses. |
A.Build effective irrigation systems. | B.Apply for federal crop insurance. |
C.Switch to growing a different crop. | D.Use further improved cotton seeds. |
A.Drought pushes cotton prices to a new high. | B.The world’s cotton supply keeps falling. |
C.Texas cotton takes a hit during drought. | D.Drought impacts the quality of cotton. |
4 . The impact of technology on language is a topic that often causes concern, with many assuming that it is simply ruining it. However, language experts resist such pessimism, noting that there is little evidence to support the view that speech is getting worse. Gretchen McCulloch, in her book Because Internet, focuses on what can be learned about language from the internet rather than talking about its supposed negative effects.
McCulloch compares studying language online to growing bacteria (细菌) in a Petri dish,where trends emerge and disappear quickly, allowing language experts to observe changes that would otherwise take a considerable amount of time. The influence of strong ties like friends or family vs weaker ties on language change is analyzed, with computer simulations (模拟) revealing that having both strong and weaker ties helps spread updates in a community.
The role of social media platforms in language change is also discussed. Twitter, with its mix of strong and weak ties, is shown to drive more language change than Facebook, which is controlled by stronger ties. Emoji is highlighted as a universal digital expression of gestures, not a language. Additionally, there is ev idence that the use of internet“innovations”such as“omg”dates back to pre-computer eras.
McCulloch’s book focuses on the birth of a new medium rather than a new language. The rise of mass writing on the internet, characterized by frequent, error-filled, and short-lived communication, challenges traditional ideas about writing’s importance. McCulloch suggests future historians should see this as a return to more casual (随意的) language, paying more attention to the value of tools that improve social interaction online. The book argues against the idea that these changes might lead to the end of “real” writing, advocating for an appreciation of anything that enhances human connection and the enjoyment of each other’s company.
1. How might McCulloch sound in her book Because Internet?A.Sensitive. | B.Scientific. | C.Pessimistic. | D.Dismissive. |
A.The development of digital language. |
B.The difference between social media platforms. |
C.The influence of the internet on language change. |
D.The connection between humans and the internet. |
A.Interpersonal bonds play a role in online communication. |
B.Formal language is unlikely to improve social interaction. |
C.The birth of new media has removed writing’s importance. |
D.Mass writing can make web-based conversations effective. |
A.How to Achieve Network Effect? | B.Technology, Fear or Convenience? |
C.What If Faced with Media Terms? | D.Internet Degrades or Helps Speech? |
At first, Michael didn’t see the black smoke or flames shooting from the windows of his neighbors’ home. He and his wife had just parked around the corner from their own house when they got a call from one of his daughters: “The house next door is on fire!” He went to check. That’s when he saw two women and a girl helpless and heartbroken on their doorway.
“The baby’s in there!” one of the women cried. Though the fire department had been called, Michael, then 64, immediately ran inside. “The baby” was 8-year-old Tiara, the woman’s granddaughter and a playmate of Michael’s three youngest kids.
The thick smoke caused Michael to stumble blindly around, burned his eyes, and made it impossible to breathe.
After a few minutes in the smoke-filled house, he retreated outside to catch his breath. “Where is Tiara?” he asked desperately.
“The second floor,” her aunt shouted back.
Michael knew he couldn’t hold his breath for long. However, taking a deep breath, he went in a second time. The darkness was overwhelming. Yet because the house had a similar design to his, he made it to the second floor. He turned to the right and was met by intense heat. He was already out of breath.
“Baby girl, where are you?”
His throat and lungs burned as if he’d inhaled fire instead of the smoke in the air. Every blink stung his eyes. All he could hear was the crackling and popping of burning wood. Then a soft but distinct moan emerged. Still unable to see, Michael fell to his knees on the hot wood floor. He crawled toward the sound, feeling around for any sign of the girl. An unlucky thought crossed his mind: I’m probably gonna die up here.
注意:1.续写词数应为80左右;
2.每段开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
Finally, Michael touched something.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
Tiara was safe now; however, Michael fainted down to the ground, unconscious.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6 . You can improve learning by handwriting your class notes. Although computer technology is often necessary today, using a pen or pencil activates more areas of your brain than a keyboard does. These are findings of a new study.
As digital devices (数码设备) have taken over society, “keyboard activity is now often suggested as a substitute (替代品) for early handwriting,” a new study notes. The idea is that typing may be easier for young children. “Some schools in Norway have become completely digital,” notes Audrey van der Meer, the new study’s leader. She believes that “young children should learn to write by hand successfully, and, at the same time, learn to manage a keyboard. ”
Using a pen involves more of the brain than using a keyboard, the new findings show. This is because writing and printing involve complicated movements that activate more areas of the brain. The increased brain activity gives the brain more “hooks” to hang your memories on, Audrey explains.
Think about it. The same movement is required to type each letter on a keyboard. In contrast, when we write, our brain needs to think about the shape of each letter. We also need to use our eyes to watch what shapes we’re writing. And we need to control our hands to press a pen or pencil to shape different letters. All of this uses and connects more areas of the brain.
Along the way, these processes appear to “open the brain up for learning”, says Audrey. So learning through only one form—digital—could be harmful, she worries. She also points out that taking notes by hand encourages “visual notetaking”. Rather than typing blindly, the visual notetaker has to think about what is important to write down. Then, key words can be “interlinked by boxes, arrows, and supplemented by small drawings”.
1. Why does keyboard activity come first for children’s early handwriting?A.It can train their hands. |
B.It may be easier to operate. |
C.It has been adopted by many schools. |
D.It helps them adapt to the digital society. |
A.The disadvantages of keyboards. |
B.Handwriting turns on parts of the brain. |
C.Keyboards require people to “think more”. |
D.The relationships between the brain and hands. |
A.We should learn in different ways. |
B.Handwriting and drawing are similar. |
C.We should challenge our brain to get smarter. |
D.Handwriting can help remember new information. |
A.Keyboards are not bad |
B.How to read brain activity |
C.Handwriting beats typing when taking notes |
D.Differences between typing and handwriting |
7 . A fully automated process, including a brand-new artificial intelligence(Al)tool, has successfully detected, identified(确认)and categorized its first supernova(超新星). Developed by an international organization led by Northwestern University, the new system automates the entire search for new supernovae across the night sky—effectively removing humans from the process. Not only does this rapidly speed up the process of analyzing and categorizing new supernova candidates(候选), but it also bypasses human errors.
The team reported to the astronomical community the launch and success of the new tool.called the Bright Transient Survey Bot(BTSbot), this week. In the past six years, humans have spent an estimated total of 2,200 hours checking and categorizing supernova candidates. With the new tool now officially online, researchers can redirect this precious time toward other responsibilities in order to speed up the discovery.
To detect and analyze supernovae, humans currently work hand in hand with robotic systems. First, robotic telescopes repeatedly image the same sections of the night sky, searching for new sources that were not present in previous images. Then, when these telescopes detect something new, humans take over. The researchers developed the BTSbot to cut out these human middlemen.
To test the BTSbot, the researchers looked to a newly discovered supernova candidate called SN2023tyk. The ZTF, a robotic observatory that images the night sky in a search for supernovae, first detected the source on Oct. 3. Examining ZTF’s data in real time, BTSbot found SN2023tyk on Oct.5. After determining that the candidate was a Type la supernova, the automated system publicly shared the discovery with the astronomical community on Oet.7.
In the first days of running BTSbot, Northwestern’s Nabeel Rehemtulla, who co-led the technology development, felt a mix of nervousness and excitement. “The beauty of it is that, once everything is turned on and working properly, we don’t actually do anything. We go to sleep at night, and, in the morning, we see that BTSbot and these other AIs firmly do their jobs,” he said.
1. What does the underlined word “bypasses” in the first paragraph mean?A.Causes. | B.Avoids. | C.Reduces. | D.Contains. |
A.It is simple. | B.It is automatic. |
C.It is meaningless. | D.It is time-consuming. |
A.Detecting the supernova. | B.Sharing the supernova. |
C.Identifying the supernova. | D.Categorizing the supernova. |
A.He hasn’t had a good sleep for a long time. |
B.Running BTSbot requires a lot of manpower. |
C.Researchers benefit greatly from the BTSbot. |
D.He has no confidence in the success of the test. |
8 . My son just turned 14 and does not have a smartphone. When he graduated from Grade 8, he was the only kid in his class without one. He asks for a phone
“You can choose to do things
But other parents
If teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 are truly spending an average of 8 hours 39 minutes per day on their devices, then what are they not doing? Kids
Some think my son is missing out or falling behind, but he is not. He does well in school, hangs out with his friends in person, and moves around our small town
He swears he’ll give his own 14-year old a phone someday, and I tell him that’s fine. But recently, he
A.only if | B.now that | C.as if | D.even though |
A.slightly | B.similarly | C.identically | D.differently |
A.confident | B.embarrassed | C.committed | D.incredible |
A.compare | B.link | C.add | D.prefer |
A.barrier | B.boundary | C.shift | D.statistic |
A.challenge | B.favor | C.support | D.approve |
A.regret | B.anger | C.happiness | D.excitement |
A.start out | B.give out | C.work out | D.hold out |
A.addicted | B.gifted | C.absorbed | D.involved |
A.connected | B.occupied | C.tired | D.satisfied |
A.conflicts | B.adventures | C.arguments | D.obligations |
A.permit | B.consider | C.delay | D.prohibit |
A.gradually | B.entirely | C.desperately | D.independently |
A.admitted | B.complained | C.suspected | D.insisted |
A.wrong | B.right | C.unfair | D.stubborn |
9 . Dementia (痴呆), a serious mental disorder caused by brain disease or injury, affects the ability to think, remember and behave normally. 160,000 people have some forms of dementia in Sweden, Alzheimer’s disease being the most common. At the same time, many new diagnostic (诊断的) methods and early-intervention treatment have been developed in recent years, which highlights the need to identify more risk factors for the disease.
Previous studies have demonstrated a possible association between depression and dementia. A present study now clearly shows that people who have been diagnosed with depression are more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Unlike the previous ones, the study was conducted using Region Stockholm’s administrative healthcare database, which contains all healthcare contacts recorded by the region. It shows that the risk of Alzheimer’s disease was more than twice as high in patients with stress and in patients with depression as it was in patients without either condition; in patients with both depression it was up to four times as high.
“The reason for it is unknown,” says the study’s last author Axel C. Carlsson. “The finding is important in that it enables us to improve preventative efforts and understand links with the other risk factors for dementia.”
The researchers focused on patients between the ages of 18 and 65 and between 2012 and 2013. They identified 44,447 people with a diagnosis of depression and followed them for eight years to see how many of them were later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. A comparison with all other 1,362,548 individuals in the age group showed that more people with depression had also been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
“It’s very uncommon for people in this age group to develop dementia, so we need to identify all possible risk factors for the disease,” says Dr Carlsson. “We show here that the diagnosis is more common in people who have suffered depression, but more studies will be required if we’re to demonstrate any reason there.”
1. What do the previous studies and the present one differ in?A.The target. | B.The method. |
C.The purpose. | D.The theory. |
A.It clarifies the condition of dementia. |
B.It makes clear the risks of depression. |
C.It confirms the previous study finding. |
D.It helps with the dementia prevention. |
A.Its process. | B.Its background. |
C.Its application. | D.Its assessment. |
A.Why dementia spreads wide in Sweden. |
B.What links exist among mental diseases. |
C.How depression connects with dementia. |
D.What other risk factors lead to dementia. |
10 . Imagine taking a flying taxi to the airport, or hopping over crowded city streets at rush hour, getting where you want to go far faster than you could in a car. Believe it or not, you might be able to do these things in an electric air taxi sooner than you think.
An air taxi is a small aircraft that can carry people from place to place. Air taxis don’t need a long runway like planes do. They can go straight up and down, like a helicopter.
In June, the FAA—the government group in charge of America’s skies—agreed to allow a company called Joby Aviation to start testing their new air taxi.
Joby has been making and testing flying taxis since 2017. But this is the first time that they’re testing a taxi that’s been built in a factory. Before that, all their taxis were made by hand.
By 2025, Joby hopes to start carrying passengers for money. They’ve teamed up with Delta Air Lines to create a program to fly people from their homes to the airport. Joby also expects their air taxis to provide a ride-sharing service in the air. Just like you might use an app to order a car to pick you up, you could use an app to order an air taxi.
Compared with helicopters, Joby claims their taxis are cheaper. The company expects to charge about $3 a mile (1.6 kilometers) at first. But over time, they hope to bring the price down to less than $1 per mile.
Joby isn’t the only company to develop air taxis. Companies around the world are working on similar vehicles. France even plans to use a few air taxis in Paris during next summer’s Olympic Games.
But there’s still a lot to do before air taxis become common. For one thing, governments need to make rules about where, when, and how these taxis can fly.
Still, it seems likely that air taxis will be part of the future of travel. The FAA says, “We could see air taxis in the skies by 2024 or 2025.”
1. What do the underlined words “hopping over” in paragraph 1 mean?A.Moving below. | B.Walking across. | C.Jumping into. | D.Flying over. |
A.They are factory-made from the start. |
B.They were developed several years ago. |
C.They will offer service to passengers through the FAA. |
D.They will be used during the next Olympic Games in Paris. |
A.Joby’s plan about air taxis. | B.The history of Joby Aviation. |
C.Air taxi team’s service promises. | D.Instructions for using a new app. |
A.They are more comfortable. | B.They are more intelligent. |
C.They are cheaper. | D.They are faster. |