1 . Plastic is everywhere, from the Arctic ice to vital organs in the human body. In fact, previous estimates suggest that the average person swallows a credit card-worth of microscopic plastic particles(颗粒) every week. But new research shows that this could actually be an understatement.
Microplastics are plastics smaller than 5 millimeters, found in industrial waste, beauty products, and formed during the degradation of larger plastic pieces. Over time, they break down into even smaller nanoplastics. These tiny particles can pass through our intestines and lungs into our bloodstreams, reaching vital organs like the heart and brain.
While the idea of eating plastic is unsettling in itself, the major concern here is that these plastic particles contain chemicals that can interrupt our body’s natural release of hormones, potentially increasing our risk of reproductive disorders and certain cancers. They can also carry toxins(毒素) on their surface like heavy metals.
In the past, researchers have shown bottled water can contain tens of thousands of identifiable plastic fragments in a single container. However, until recently, only the larger microplastics were detectable with available measuring tools, leaving the area of nanoplastics largely a mystery.
Using Raman microscopy (显微镜学), capable of detecting particles down to the size of a flu virus, the team measured an average of 240, 000 particles of plastic per liter of bottled water, 90 percent of which were nanoplastics, a revelation 10 to 100 times larger than previous estimates.
These plastics likely originate from the bottle material, filters used to “purify” the water, and the source water itself. “It is not totally unexpected to find so much of this stuff, ” the study’s lead author, Columbia graduate student Naixin Qian, said in a statement. His team hopes to expand their research into tap water and other water sources to better inform our exposure to these potentially dangerous particles. “The idea is that the smaller things get, the more of them I reveal, ” he added.
1. What is the primary focus of the new research?A.The presence of plastic particles. | B.The use of plastic in everyday products. |
C.The detection methods for microplastics. | D.The potential risks of nanoplastics to human. |
A.Finding the source of plastic particles. | B.Helping to cure the deadly flu virus. |
C.Detecting the smaller plastic particles. | D.Improving the quality of bottled water. |
A.To focus on areas with higher plastic pollution. |
B.To be aware of the dangerous particles in daily life. |
C.To further measure the types of particles in tap water. |
D.To detect the smaller plastic particles in industrial areas. |
A.Skeptical. | B.Objective. | C.Conservative. | D.Positive. |
2 . Could you manage without the internet for four and a half years? That’s exactly what the actress Selena Gomez has done in a bid to improve her mental health.
She has spoken extensively about the relationship between her social media usage and mental well-being, recalling feeling like “an addict” as to becoming Instagram’s most followed user in 2016. “Indeed, I regret quitting from social media that late”, says she. “The unnecessary hate and comparisons went away once I put my phone down.”
However, the increasing digitization (数字化) means that everything from paying a bill to even making a phone call is at the mercy of the internet. Actively opting (选择) out of the internet becomes a matter of privilege. Ms Gomez’s multi-millionaire status has allowed her to take the “social” out of social media. The fact that she’s still the second most-followed woman on Instagram suggests it’s entirely possible to maintain a significant web profile to promote various projects by way of a dedicated team — without being exposed to the cruel comments.
It goes without saying that this is fundamentally different from how the rest of us without beauty deals and films to publicize use the likes of Instagram and Twitter, but even the concept of a digital detox (戒瘾) requires having a device and connectivity to choose to disconnect from.
The UK’s digital divide has worsened over the past two years, leaving poorer families without broadband connections in their homes. Digital exclusion (数字隔绝) is a major threat to wider societal equality in the UK.
Consequently, it’s worth bearing in mind that while deleting all social media accounts will undoubtedly make some feel infinitely better, many other people benefit from the strong sense of community that sharing platforms can develop. Greater resources and initiatives are needed to provide the underprivileged with the connectivity they desperately need to learn, work and live. It’s crucial that people feeling social media is harmful to their mental health are allowed to switch off and for those living in digital exclusion to be able to switch on primarily.
1. What do we learn about the actress Selena Gomez in the past four and a half years?A.She has withdrawn from social media. |
B.She has won Instagram’s most followers. |
C.She has had worsening mental problems. |
D.She has succeeded in a bid on the internet. |
A.Most people think that digital exclusion promotes societal equality in the UK. |
B.Most people can hardly abandon the web while avoiding hate and comparisons. |
C.Most people can hardly get by without the internet due to growing digitization. |
D.Most people have been seriously addicted to the web without being aware of it. |
A.They are beneficial to people’s mental health. |
B.They create a virtual community on the internet. |
C.They help many people feel connected with others. |
D.They provide a necessary device for a digital detox. |
A.Subjective. | B.Objective. |
C.Disapproving. | D.Favorable. |
3 . Why do we talk the way we do? It might date back to when our ancestors left the jungle for the open plain. Between 5.3 million and 16 million years ago, Africa’s landscapes changed from thick, leafy forests to wide-open grasslands. This environmental change pushed our ancestors out of the trees and onto the ground. Along with all of the physical and behavioral changes this may have caused, researchers also believe it may have changed the way we speak.
“Open landscapes provide us with fewer objects to affect signal communication, meaning our voices can travel further compared with that in thick forests,” Charlotte Gannon, a researcher who studies language development, told Newsweek. “The move to these open spaces may have increased the effectiveness of our communication.”
By comparing the vocal calls of the orangutan (大猩猩) , Gannon and her team were able to establish how different calls could travel across different landscapes. In their study, the team played 487 calls from orangutans and measured their audibility (可听度) at set length over an overall distance of over 1,300 feet in the South African plain.
“Our results were surprising,” Gannon said, “The rule of sound spread suggests that lower-frequency (低频率) sounds (the grumphs) would have traveled further than higher-frequency sounds (the kiss squeaks). Our results actually found the opposite to this.” In these environmental settings, consonant (辅音)-like calls traveled a lot further than vowel (元音) -like calls. Actually, around 80 percent of consonant-based calls were audible at 1,300 feet, compared to only 20 percent of vowel-based calls.
Gannon said these results highlight the importance of studying living orangutan to learn about our species’ history. “We can view them as time machines that allow us to recreate key moments of our history so we can learn more about the development of our language,” Gannon said. “Despite their popularity in modern languages, consonants have often been forgotten when discussing speech development. Our research highlights not only their presence in ancient times but their importance to the development of language.”
1. What led to the speech development?A.Behavioral change. | B.Time development. |
C.Physical development. | D.Environmental change. |
A.Less block. | B.Better tools. | C.Louder voice. | D.Larger vocabulary. |
A.The results of the study. |
B.The process of the research. |
C.The purpose of the program. |
D.The participants of the project. |
A.The living orangutan can recreate our language. |
B.Consonants are significant in language development. |
C.The sound of grumphs travels further than that of kiss squeaks. |
D.Consonant-like calls travel four times further than vowel-like calls. |
4 . Coming into the town of Santa Catarina Palopó, in the highlands of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, the first thing you notice is the bright colors. Most of the buildings along the main street are eye-catching, deep blues and greens, dotted with red and yellow to form diverse patterns and designs.
Santa Catarina Palopó was once a sleepy town of 5, 000 people, most of them dependent on agricultural work. But as agriculture began to dry up here, poverty came. To deal with poverty and promote econ on growth through tourism, a small but creative group of laborers, artisans, domestic workers and stay-at-home moms created the Pintando Santa Catarina Palopó project.
The project aimed to paint all 850 homes and buildings in bright colors to change the hillside town into a work of art. “We wanted to paint the houses with colors and figures that represent the community” says the project’s executive director Stephany Blanco. “Families can choose designs for their house that are representative of the family.”
One of the most representative characteristics of the region is the blue huipil, a traditional blouse which has been worn commonly by local women since the 16th century. That deep sky blue was chosen the primary color-for the Pintando project, with secondary colors found in the sunsets and the nearby lake to make the design more attractive. Inspiration was also found in local culture, symbols such as volcanoes, flowers, and the national bird of Guatemala.
Each week, local artists, community members and tourists pick up paintbrushes to make buildings colorful. “At first, the idea of the project was uncertain, but now you can see a considerable difference in the town,” Melissa Whitbeck said. “The color of the buildings is believed to improve the quality-of life of the people. It uplifts the people’s mood and encourages them to be proud of their hometown.”
1. Why was the Pintando Santa Catarina project started?A.Because of a workforce shortage. | B.Due to the poor economic conditions. |
C.Thanks to the increase in population. | D.For the old-fashioned farming ways. |
A.Building family art galleries in Guatemala. | B.Creating job opportunities for local artists. |
C.Developing local tourism by selling artworks. | D.Changing the town into a cultural destination. |
A.The surrounding volcanoes. | B.Mayan-styled butterflies. |
C.A type of traditional clothing. | D.The national bird of Guatemala. |
A.Positive. | B.Reserved. | C.Concerned. | D.Negative. |
5 . Two very different movies were released on July 21 this summer in the West, bringing record numbers of people into cinemas as the “Barbenheimer (芭比海默)” trend took over social media.
Barbie and Oppenheimer have been huge hits around the world, with Barbie alone making over 1 billion US dollars just 17 days after release. This makes it Wamer Bros studio’s fastest movie to reach $1 billion and the film’s director, Greta Gerwig, the first-ever solo female filmmaker with a billion-dollar film.
Barbie and Oppenheimer are an interesting pair because of how different they are from one another. Barbie is about a famous toy coming to life and facing issues of sexism and finding her own identity. Meanwhile, Oppenheimer is a serious male-driven historical film about J. Robert Oppenheimer’s Manhattan Project and the development of the atomic bomb. The release of these two huge, wildly different movies on the same day led to the creation of countless memes (表情包) under the Barbenheimer hashtag. Filmgoers have even gone to see both movies one right after the other, with some dressing up in pink for Barbie going on to see Oppenheimer as well.
Meanwhile, people have found some of the “Barbenheimer” memes disturbing. Atomic bombs killed many people and they think the memes made light of a very dark time in history. But the films have brought a healthy boost to cinema ticket sales around the world, helping an industry that has faced many challenges in recent years. The increasing popularity of streaming services and the COVID-19 pandemic have kept people out of cinemas. Now, the strikes from writers and actors over concerns of pay and about the use of artificial intelligence by film studios are also having an impact. Add to that a public tired of yearly big movies about superheroes and fast cars, as declining ticket sales suggest.
Described as a historic moment for the movie industry. “‘Barbenheimer’ will go down as one of the biggest and unexpected milestones in the history of cinema,” Paul Dergarabedian at Comscore told CNN.
1. What made Barbie a significant achievement for Wamer Bros?A.Representing male-driven films. | B.Reaching $1 billion in record time. |
C.Addressing issues about identity. | D.Greta Gerwig becoming the director. |
A.They both feature female characters. | B.They were released on the same day. |
C.They have opposite disturbing memes. | D.They explore completely different themes. |
A.They have caused a decrease in streaming service. |
B.They have stimulated cinema ticket sales globally. |
C.They have motivated people to avoid the cinemas. |
D.They have sparked controversy regarding sexism. |
A.Increasing costs of film production. |
B.Conflicts with social media platforms. |
C.Filmgoers’ preference for superhero movies. |
D.Disapproval from writers and actors over Al use. |
6 . In recent years American society has become increasingly dependent on its universities to find solutions to its major problems. It is the universities that have been to blame for developing the expertise to place men on the moon; for dealing with our urban problems and with our worsening environment; for developing the means to feed the world’s rapidly increasing population. The effort involved in meeting these demands presents its own problems. In addition, however, this concentration on the creation of new knowledge significantly impinges on the universities’ efforts to perform their other principal functions, the transmission and interpretation of knowledge-the imparting of the heritage of the past and the preparing of the next generation to carry it forward.
With regard to this, perhaps their most traditionally acknowledged task, college and universities today find themselves in a serious situation. On one hand, there is the American commitment, especially since World War Ⅱ, to provide higher education for all young people who can profit from it. The result of the commitment has been a dramatic rise in enrollments(登记入学) in our universities, coupled with a striking shift from the private to the public sector of higher education.
On the other hand, there are serious and continuing limitations on the resources available for higher education. While higher education has become a great ”growth industry“, it is also at the same time a tremendous drain(耗竭) on the resources of the nation. With the vast increase in enrollment and the shift in priorities away from education in state and federal(联邦的) budgets, there is in most of our public institutions a significant decrease in expenses for their students. One crucial aspect of this drain on resources lies in the persistent shortage of trained faculty(全体教师), which has led, in turn, to a declining standard of competence in instruction.
Intensifying these difficulties is, as indicated above, the concern with research, with its increasing claims on resources and the attention of the faculty. In addition, there is a strong tendency for the institutions’ organization and functioning to fulfill the demands of research rather than those of teaching.
1. According to Paragraph 1, what should be the most important function of American universities?A.Sparing no effort to create new knowledge for students. |
B.Enhancing students’ competence of tackling social problems. |
C.Making experts on advanced industries out of their students. |
D.Preparing their students to transmit the knowledge of the past. |
A.more students and less investment | B.education quality and economic profit |
C.low enrollment rate and high education demand | D.private ownership and American commitment |
A.many public institutions have to cut down enrollments of students |
B.teachers are not competent enough to perform satisfactorily in class |
C.some institutions are forced to reduce the total expenses on research |
D.there is keen competition for resources between public and private institutions |
A.The improper distribution of American universities’ resources. |
B.The increasing argument over American universities’ primary task. |
C.The inability of American universities’ organization and fulfillment. |
D.The growing focus on American universities’ function of research. |
7 .
“Critic’s Pick. The movie is extremely emotional(like a Toni Morrison novel or a Mary Oliver poem).” LISA KENNEDY, THE NEW YORK TIMES Raven Jaskson *2023 *U.S. *97 minutes |
2023 Gotham Award Nominee for Breakthrough Figure(Raven Jackson)
One of the most visually striking, profoundly moving American moviemaking debuts(首次亮相) in years, Raven Jackson’s All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt is an eye-catching immersion into a young woman’s inner world, filmed and edited with an extraordinary attention to the tiniest detail. This impressionistic journey skips ahead and back through decades to tell the story of Mack, whose upbringing in rural Mississippi is touched by grace, dotted with heartbreak, and always carried high in the sky by the surrounding natural beauty. As she ages, she loses loved ones and gains others, while making decisions that change the course of her life, and that of her beloved sister. Relying on sounds and images to tell her story, and employing minimal dialogue, Jackson has created something breathtakingly quiet and ultimately transporting a spiritual respect to the moments, feelings, and connections that make a life. An A24 release.
Show Times:November 7—November 15
12:15 PM 2:15 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM
Please note:*Open caption screenings of the film will play on November 8—November 13
12:15 PM 6:15 PM
*Audio description available at all screenings.
1. According to the passage, Raven Jackson is a(n)____________.A.critic | B.director | C.actor | D.editor |
A.Mack’s life is full of ups and downs. |
B.All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt is highly thought of. |
C.New technology is used to create some thrilling scenes. |
D.Mack, the leading role, is brought up in the countryside. |
A.11/7 at 6:15 PM | B.11/11 at 12:15 PM |
C.11/12 at 8:15 PM | D.11/14 at 6:15 PM |
8 . Smartwatches and fitness trackers (健身追踪器) have gained popularity recently. These tools can record your daily steps, heart rates, etc.
It’s a struggle to overcome the addiction to fitness trackers.
Of course, failing to meet your daily goal can be discouraging. You might focus on your shortcoming rather than your progress. Another problem is that you might find yourself paying too much attention to the step number rather than how your body feels.
Therefore, if you’re spending too much time looking at your smartwatch, limit your daily step count to a comfortable level.
A.How can you tell whether you’re addicted to your fitness tracker? |
B.Actually this addiction to step count can be risky, mentally and physically. |
C.Don’t overuse your smartwatch. |
D.However, do you find yourself checking your steps and heart rates too often? |
E.After all, reaching a daily step count can be so appealing. |
F.Besides, you can find other things to do that don’t involve checking your fitness tracker. |
G.It doesn’t covey what you’re really feeling. |
9 . As a student,I heard the line “graduate school is stressful” so many times that it began to bear no meaning.
Sure,there were campus resources that encouraged healthy behaviors,including deep thought,and the benefits of self-care,but self-care sounded expensive and time-consuming to me;I had work to do.And I was not a fan of deep thought:The thought of sitting still for 30 minutes only caused me greater stress.But one thing I couldn’t stay away from was walking my dog.
Tessa is a six-year-old lovely coonhound that I got as a gift to myself,for completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.I first saw Tessa as a thin and little dog in a photo on the Internet.She was found,huddled up with her friends,in a deserted house in Alabama.
Because of Tessa,I took frequent walking breaks while studying for a master’s degree in public health at Yale University in New Haven,Connecticut.I discovered the best corners and crannies on campus,including the sloping grass land behind the school,filled with squirrels and sticks — a safe place for dogs.I found a tree accidentally with a swing,overlooking the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History,which offered the best sunset view in town.On our daily walks,I found calm in the woods and quiet in the early mornings enveloping the city streets.
Now,as I work from home,Tessa continues to help me deal with a lonely existence.Just like in graduate school,she demands that I stop working,however briefly,and accompany her on a walk.These forced breaks throughout the day take me away from my computer and help me to stay active,greet my neighbors and come back to work refreshed.And although I certainly haven’t escaped from stress,and I am still trying to find my footing in research,I will continue to make time for walks every day.I recommend it very much.
1. How did the author feel about deep thought?A.Anxious. | B.Time-consuming. | C.Disordered. | D.Encouraged. |
A.Lovely. | B.Gifted. | C.Poor. | D.Courageous. |
A.Tessa likes walking very much. |
B.The Yale University is very beautiful. |
C.The author likes both the city and the university. |
D.Tessa is helpful for the author to get through graduate school happily. |
A.The author often feels lonely at home. |
B.The author works hard but exercises less. |
C.Both the author and the neighbors like Tessa. |
D.Walking with Tessa benefits the author much. |
10 . Have you ever wondered what happens to your mobile phones and laptops after you throw them out to make way for a newer model? According to its latest Global E-Waste Monitor, India is the third top producer of e-waste in the world. E-waste in Indian landfill goes on to pollute soil and groundwater, affecting food supply systems and water sources.
Thankfully, the country has a new group of artists who are changing these thrown mechanical items-from mobile phones to old televisions- into large murals (壁画) and artworks to creatively show their concern for the waste problem.
Over the past quarter of a century, Mumbai’s Haribaabu Naatesan has transformed hundreds of tonnes of e-waste into art, integrating elements from nature and industry. “I get my waste material from friends, relatives and neighbours who know my interest in e-art and send me bags of thrown electronic appliances,” says Naatesan. Over his career, he has created huge murals for several companies. He has also showed his work at the India Art Fair, as well as several other national displays.
Another artist Vishwanath Davangere has also long worked with e-waste. He likes to take apart old laptops and reassemble (重新组装) them into birds, animals and plants. After retirement, he started pursuing this hobby more seriously and started selling his creations across the world. His most outstanding works include a robotic Egyptian statue with glowing red eyes and a Milky Way made from keyboard keys. He hopes to enable others to reconsider their own consumption habits and make more environmentally conscious choices.
“By giving e-waste a second chance, I aim to raise awareness about the environmental impact of electronic waste.” says Davangare, who today has a collection of more than 600 eco-art objects.
1. Why do the artists create artworks from E-waste?A.To promote their artistic career. | B.To update electronic appliances. |
C.To make profits for several companies. | D.To express their environmental concern. |
A.His creations are displayed globally. | B.He gains support from people around. |
C.He has been creating e-art for 10 years. | D.His works integrate technology and history. |
A.Reliable. | B.Confident. | C.Devoted. | D.Generous. |
A.E-waste Recycling Sweeping the World | B.Environmental Problems Worrying Indians |
C.An Art Movement Turning Trash into Cash | D.Indian Creatives Transforming E-waste into Art |