1 . Extreme heat often brings extreme wildfires, and this year is no exception, with unprecedented heat waves fueling enormous outbreaks of fires in the western United States and Canada as well as across the Mediterranean and in Siberia. But paradoxically the most intense wildfires can have the opposite effect on temperatures, cooling Earth’s surface both regionally and globally.
Dense wildfire smoke can temporarily block sunlight near the ground, causing regional temperatures to drop by several degrees. Wildfire smoke can also have global cooling effects by making clouds in the lower atmosphere more reflective or blocking sunlight in the upper atmosphere, similar to what a volcanic eruption does.
The effect is far too small to counteract（抵制，抵消）human-caused global warming; researchers say it’s too early to predict what it means for the broader climate system. But with fire seasons growing more intense around the world and triggering a range of extreme fire weather in North America and elsewhere, the search for answers is growing increasingly urgent.
Smoke particles act as seeds for water vapor to form clouds that are smaller and reflect more sunlight. While smoke tends to rain out of clouds fairly quickly, the Australian bushfires raged for months, pumping more and more cloud-brightening smoke into the atmosphere. “It’s not a big effect, but when you integrate over the entire Southern Ocean. it adds up” one of the researchers says.
While this research highlights the cooling effects of smoke in the lower atmosphere, on occasion, wildfire smoke can reach even higher altitudes into the stratosphere, the layer that starts about 10 miles up. There, it can have additional effects on the climate. Smoke reaches the stratosphere when heat from a powerful wildfire creates an updraft that combines with moisture in the atmosphere to generate towering thunderclouds.
However, scientists have only recently begun studying these effects. “We might still be in the infancy of understanding how large and how important the effects of these wildfires are.” scientists say.
1. Where does the text probably come from?| A．A geographic textbook. | B．A research report. |
| C．A scientific magazine. | D．A science fiction. |
| A．Human has less influence on climate change than extreme weather. |
| B．Extreme heat boosts the outbreaks of fires in some areas. |
| C．Wildfire can be beneficial to the earth to some extent. |
| D．The cooling effects of smoke from wildfire is not limited to lower atmosphere. |
| A．The importance of wildfires is completely ignored. |
| B．Humans understanding of wildfires is still limited. |
| C．Scientists fully understand the effects of wildfires. |
| D．Wildfires are the consequences of global warming. |
2 . In 1713, Italian physician Bernardinus Ramazzini described in his book a mysterious set of symptoms he was noticing among artists: “Of the many painters I have known, almost all I found unhealthy ... If we search for the cause of the extremely thin and colorless appearance of the painters, as well as the sad feelings that they are so often victims of, we should look no further than the harmful nature of the paint.”
He was one of the first to make the connection between paint and artists' health, but it would take centuries for painters to switch to less-harmful materials, even as medicine gradually found some clues to the painters' health problems.
The 1834 London Medical and Surgical Journal describes sharp stomach pains occurring in patients with no other evidence of intestinal（肠的）disease, thus leading the authors to suspect that this “painter's stomachache” was a “nervous affection” of the intestine that occurs when lead “is absorbed into the system”.
Paints weren't the only source of saturnism（铅中毒）in past centuries, though. Through the 1500s, lead was widely used in wine to make the wine tastes sweeter. Occasionally, lead was even used as a medicine. In the Middle Ages, lead could be found in makeup.
Though many kinds of people fell victim to saturnism, the disease was perhaps most widespread among those who worked with paint. The symptoms of this “stomachache” ranged, but they often included a pale face, tooth loss, fatigue, painful stomach aches, and so on. In fact, the illness that many famous artists experienced didn't just prompt their gloomy works.
Lead poisoning among historical figures is difficult to prove, in part because the condition was not known or recognized in most of their lifetimes. We can't know whether the madness, depression, and illnesses many Renaissance masters experienced can be attributed to their paint or just their physiologies（生理机能）.
1. In his book, Bernardinus Ramazzini described the following symptoms of many painters except._______| A．being extremely thin | B．depressed feelings |
| C．being always inactive | D．pale appearance |
| A．He was an Italian physicist. | B．He invented less-harmful materials. |
| C．He made artists stop using paints. | D．He thought paints do harm to health. |
| A．In the 16th century. | B．In the 18th century. |
| C．In the 19th century. | D．In the 20th century. |
| A．Lead was widely used throughout history in daily life. |
| B．Saturnism in past centuries came from various sources. |
| C．All the artists are unhealthy for they use harmful paints. |
| D．Typical symptoms of artists' disease may be connected to paints. |
3 . New England holds some special museums. They are devoted largely or entirely to the work of just one person. And they are the artists’ birthplaces or onetime homes. Here are four examples of such museums.
Cyrus E. Dallin Art Museum
The name Cyrus E. Dallin (1861-1944) might not be familiar, but several of the artist’s sculptures (雕塑) are, especially those related to Native Americans. A good example is his “Appeal to the Great Spirit” standing in front of the Museum of Fine Arts. Born in Utah, he lived in Arlington for the final four decades of his life. The museum is in the Jefferson Cutter House, an 1830 Greek styled building.
Norman Rockwell Museum
Rockwell (1894-1978) was America’s well-known artist. The museum, founded in 1969, moved into its present location, Robert A.M. Stern-designed building in 1993. Its 998 paintings and drawings are the largest single collection of Rockwell's artworks.
Kids 16 and under: free; adults: $20; the old: at a 10% discount (折扣)
Edward Gorey House
Edward Gorey (1925-2000) was an artist, but he was also an author and clothes designer. Gorey bought this 18th-century house in 1979 and lived there for the rest of his life. Edward Gorey House is also known as the Elephant House. Gorey had respect for animals. The activities of the house, from art education to exhibits, show Gorey's support of animal well-being.
Gibert Stuart Birthplace and Museum
Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828) is responsible for what may well be the most familiar work of any American artist, His drawing of George is the basis of the first president’s portrait (画像) on the dollar. Stuart painted more than a thousand portraits throughout his life.
1. What do we know about Cyrus E. Dallin?| A．He built the Jefferson Cutter House. |
| B．He lived in Arlington for half a century. |
| C．He was best known for his Greek styled sculptures. |
| D．He created famous works related to Native Americans. |
| A．$36. | B．$40. | C．$60. | D．$72. |
| A．Edward Gorey House. | B．Norman Rockwell Museum. |
| C．Cyrus E. Dallin Art Museum. | D．Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum. |
4 . If you are currently learning English, 1 highly recommend you check out the apps below.
Quizlet
When learning English, you probably have to memorize a lot of words. If you want to grow your vocabulary as fast as possible, a flashcard app like Quizlet is a great shortcut. With Quizlet, you can create a set of flashcards with new English words you are trying to learn, and practice typing them out until you know them by heart. It's a simple concept, but it's highly effective.
Spotify
Spotify is not a language learning app. But chances are that you already use it or a similar app for listening to music or podcasts（播客）, and one of the effective ways to study is combining something you already use into your existing habits. If Spotify is already on your phone, you can subscribe to some podcasts for English learners or download playlists of songs for learning English, or make your own.
Beelinguapp
Beelinguapp makes reading in English as convenient as possible. It shows you a text in your own language with the English translation side-by-side. Texts are short enough so that you can really dig into every word. They cover topics from fairytales, to science, to current news articles. There's even a "karaoke" feature where you can read along to audio, which helps you match up the English pronunciation with the English spellings.
Tandem
Tandem is a language exchange app which connects learners from all over the world. It can help you find a native English speaker who is trying to learn your native language, so you can swap language skills. If you only have five minutes to spare, you can simply exchange messages with a native English speaker. If you have more time, you can have a longer, digital language exchange" by sharing voice notes, or using video chat. It's a great way to test your English skills out with real people.
1. What is Spotify intended to help people do?| A．Develop a good habit. | B．Listen to music or podcasts. |
| C．Learn a foreign language. | D．Memorize words with flashcards. |
| A．Learners can use their native language as a reference. |
| B．It's convenient for learners to translate voice notes. |
| C．It provides learners a chance to tell their own stories. |
| D．Learners can sing English songs along to the music. |
| A．Quizlet. | B．Spotify. | C．Beelinguapp. | D．Tandem. |
5 . The robots are coming！
All the efforts you put into studying at university may not have been enough—because robots could be coming for your job. A new study finds that as many as 800 million workers could be replaced by robots by 2030.
The study from the McKinsey Global Institute estimates that “between 400 million and 800 million individuals could be replaced by automation (自动化) or robots and need to find new jobs by 2030 around the world”. It estimates that 30 percent of the hours people spend on working globally could have been automated by that time.
Those most affected will be people who work in “predictable environments” doing tasks such as operating machines and preparing fast food. Those who make a living collecting and processing data also face a high risk of being replaced by robots. But people who work in less predictable environments such as gardeners, plumbers, and childcare staff face a smaller risk, because their roles “are technically difficult to be automated and often command relatively lower wages, which makes automation a less attractive business proposition”.
However, it's not all doom (厄运) for the future of employment. The study notes that automation sometimes allows workers to remain employed in a different position. “Even when some tasks are automated, the employment rate in those occupations may not decline because workers may perform new tasks，” McKinsey & Company wrote in a release on its website.
It noted that China has the largest number of employees who would need to switch occupations, up to 100 million if automation was adopted rapidly, or 12 percent of the 2030 workforce. The numbers are higher in more advanced economies, with up to onethird of the 2030 workforce in America and Germany needing to switch occupations, along with nearly half of the 2030 workforce in Japan. Countries which fail to prepare workers for transition to new jobs will feel the impact of a rise in unemployment and depressed wages, according to the study.
1. Why will lots of people need to find new jobs by 2030 around the world？| A．They don't put efforts into their study at university. |
| B．The world's working population is on the steady increase. |
| C．They will be paid less with the development of technology. |
| D．Robots or automation will take the place of their positions. |
| A．Machine operation. | B．Fast food cooking. |
| C．Childcare in kindergarten. | D．Data collection. |
| A．Optimistic. |
| B．Pessimistic. |
| C．Unconcerned and indifferent. |
| D．Having no personal preference. |
| A．Education. | B．Technology. |
| C．Lifestyle. | D．Business. |
1 July 2021
On June 29 this year, Zhang Guimei was awarded CPC’s top honor July 1 Medal at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. At the ceremony. she said she did all this out of her gratefulness and love for the country, as well as the original aspiration and mission of a CPC member.
Zhang Guimei, who has dedicated her 40 years to education at China’s southwestern border, is a principal motivating young girls from impoverished families in mountainous areas.
Zhang was born in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang province in 1957. At 17, she came to Dali in Yunnan province to support the development of border areas, where she stumbled into teaching and started a career as an educator. After her husband’s death in 1996, she went to teach in Huaping county, Yunnan’s Lijiang. Five years later, she established a chilren’s home and worked as a part-time president of it. The organization adopted a total of over 170 children, who call Zhang mom though she has never given birth to a child..
While teaching there,she saw many girls drop out of school due to poverty. To change the destiny of the girls in the mountain, Zhang started her preparation to build a free all-girls high school in 2002. In 2007, Zhang went to Beijing for the 17th CPC National Congress as a deputy. Her report titled “I have a dream” delivered at the meeting made her dream of building a free all-girls high school known to all. Later, both the Lijiang and Huaping governments sponsored her with a million yuan. A year later, Zhang’s school was completed, becoming the first free all-girls high school in China. During the past 13 years, the school has nurtured over I,800 students who have made it to universities.
With no offspring and property, Zhang lives in a dormitory building with her students. She has donated all her cash awards, donations from others, and most of her salaries, more than a million yuan, to the children and other people in need. She suffers from 23 diseases, but she is still working selflessly.
Her story has moved millions of Chinese people and is now written into a newly published Brief History of the People’s Republic of China.
1. What’s the writing style of this passage?| A．A biography. | B．An argumentation. |
| C．A news report. | D．A narration. |
| A．To change the destiny of the girls in the mountain. |
| B．To lift girls in the mountain out of poverty. |
| C．To establish a children’s home. |
| D．To found a free high school for girls only. |
| A．She has committed herself to education in urban areas |
| B．She is a moral model burning herself to light others. |
| C．She has been teaching in Huaping county since she came to Yunnan. |
| D．She was awarded the Medal on 1 July. |
7 . Some young people are blocking their parents on social media. Would you add your parents on Wechat?
Some children say they feel uncomfortable with their parents keeping an eye on their everyday activities and photos, as their parents either don’t support the things they do for fun, or would constantly worry over what they consider unsafe or inappropriate behavior.
So, what is your opinion? Should young people share their everyday activities with heir parents through social media like WeChat?
Some are for it. Young people can be friends with their parents.
Most young adults desire independence from their parents.Kids need to make their own choices.
| A．Social media is a good way for children to keep in touch with their parents. |
| B．This has become one of the biggest questions young Chinese facing in a digital age. |
| C．By treating each other as friends, families can work to rebuild their relationships. |
| D．They even say their friends’ circles are for friends of a similar age. |
| E．Blocking their parents on social media allows kids room to grow and build the self-confidence necessary to have a successful life. |
| F．37% of young people said they have blocked their parents from seeing their friends’ circles. |
| G．While others hold a different idea, arguing that the generation gap can’t be underestimated(低估）. |
8 . Work less, do more. It's an attractive idea that's becoming reality for a growing number of people in Sweden, where some companies are shortening their workdays from eight hours to six or even fewer. But is it possible to finish the same amount of work in less time?
The answer depends on the person and the type of work, experts say. But plenty of evidence suggests that cutting back on hours can have many benefits, not just because people are usually happier when they work less. If done right, shortening the workday can also improve productivity (生产效率).
The average American works about 47 hours a week, and many people work much more than that, even though many recent studies have connected working long hours with many health problems. People who work too much are more likely to gain weight, suffer workplace injuries and develop stress-related illnesses.
Dealing with those problems can end up costing companies a large amount of money, experts say. One recent study found that stress in the workplace contributes to 120,000 deaths each year and as much as 
of health care costs in the US.
Productivity can also suffer as the day goes on and it takes even more effort to maintain the same pace. A number of studies have found that intense (紧张的) periods of mental effort can impair people's ability to solve puzzles, make decisions and control emotions.
1. Why does the author provide the example of some Sweden companies in the first paragraph?| A．To provide support for his own ideas. |
| B．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| C．To predict the change of views on workdays. |
| D．To provide a successful case of shorter workdays. |
| A．measure | B．improve | C．repair | D．affect |
| A．Work at Your Peak Efficiency |
| B．Assess Your Pace of Work |
| C．Can a 6-hour Workday Work? |
| D．Are You Shortening Your Workdays? |
9 . Children’s heavy digital media use is associated with a risk of being overweight later in adolescence. A recent study shows that six hours of leisure-time physical activity per week at the age of 11 reduces the risk of being overweight at 14 years of age associated with heavy use of digital media.
Obesity (肥胖) in children and adolescents is one of the most significant health-related challenges globally. A study carried out by the Folkhalsan Research Center investigated whether a link exists between the digital media use of Finnish school-age children and the risk of being overweight later in adolescence. In addition, the study looked into whether children’s physical activity has an effect on this potential link.
The study involved 4,661 children who reported how much time they spent on sedentary (久坐的) digital media use and physical activity outside school hours. The study indicated that heavy use of digital media at 11 years of age was associated with a heightened risk of being overweight at 14 years of age in children who reported taking part in under six hours per week of physical activity in their leisure time. In children who reported being physically active for six or more hours per week, such a link was not observed.
The study also took into account other factors potentially impacting obesity, such as childhood eating habits and the amount of sleep, as well as the amount of digital media use and physical activity in adolescence. In spite of the confounding (混杂的) factors, the protective role of childhood physical activity in the connection between digital media use in childhood and being overweight later in life was successfully confirmed.
“The effect of physical activity on the association between digital media use and being overweight has not been further investigated in follow-up studies so far,” says Postdoctoral Researcher Elina Engberg. “In this study, the amount of physical activity and use of digital media was reported by the children themselves, and the level of their activity was not surveyed, so there is a need for further studies.”
1. The subjects of the study were ________.| A．surveyed three years later after the first one |
| B．those who kept sitting and used digital media a lot |
| C．4,661 school-aged children suffering from obesity |
| D．lacking in sufficient leisure-time physical activity |
| A．Major | B．Particular. |
| C．Increasing. | D．Slight. |
| A．Different factors contributing to kids’ overweight problem. |
| B．The influence of childhood eating habits on children’s obesity. |
| C．The relationship among kids’ exercise, digital media use and obesity. |
| D．Children’s academic challenges resulting from heavy digital media use. |
| A．Reasons for carrying out further studies. |
| B．Guidelines for children and adolescents. |
| C．Approaches to solving teens’ weight problems. |
| D．Connections between obesity and physical activity. |
10 . At the foot of the Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang, a homestay (民宿) is attracting travelers from far and wide, which has won architectural medal at the 2021 German iF Design Awards.
The owners of the homestay are a couple in their late 30s who decided to return to their hometown three years ago. Li Xiumei used to be in charge of a division at a company in Hangzhou, and her husband was a sales director. It was an ordinary situation where Li’s husband was on business trips a lot and Li still worked on weekends. City life sometimes is not easy.
In 2018, they quit jobs and went back to Dongtianmu village, which lies in a forest of bamboo. The first time they drove into the village was one late afternoon. The cooking smoke was rising from the foot of the mountain, which gave them a very different feeling from the city.
The homestay was built beside her husband’s old countryside house. The old house is preserved (保留), while a brand-new building was built on its side and the whole site is made up of four courtyards. It has been updated to have a hall, a tea room, a kitchen, a dining room. Japanese cherry trees are planted in the east courtyard. A swimming pool is placed in the west courtyard, with a bar located on one side.
Li and her husband love gardening and music, and their new home gives them enough space to continue their interests and relax in the heart of nature. Li wants to share the quiet country life, so she makes her new home a homestay. In 2019, the homestay became an online hit after guests shared their experiences on social media. “The longer I stay here, the more I feel it was the right choice to come back, and this is more meaningful than making money,” Li says.
1. How did Li feel about city life?| A．Satisfied. | B．Noisy. | C．Attractive. | D．Tired |
| A．The forest of bamboo. | B．The smoke of cooking. |
| C．The fresh air in the village. | D．The feeling of loneliness. |
| A．It is ancient and broken. | B．It can hold many guests. |
| C．It must have been carefully designed. | D．It has been rebuilt by the couple. |
| A．Continuing their music dream. | B．Living in the countryside. |
| C．Staying at the old house. | D．Developing a city. |
