1 . Scientists at Purdue University created the world’s whitest paint — a discovery that not only adds yet another choice to the “which white should we paint this wall” dilemma, but also might help the climate crisis.

The paint was developed by Purdue mechanical engineering professor Xiulin Ruan and his team. It works through a passive cooling technology that offers great promises to reduce space cooling cost and global warming. “When we started this project seven years ago, we had saving energy and fighting climate change in mind,” Ruan said in a podcast (播客) episode of This Is Purdue. They wanted to create a paint that would reflect sunlight away from a building, dramatically decreasing the need for air conditioning.

Heating, cooling, and lighting account for 28 percent of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. And overusing air conditioning can overwhelm a city’s power grid and cause blackouts (停电). In a Queens blackout in 2006, 175,000 people were left without power, which lead to 40 deaths. This paint could effectively be an alternative to air conditioners in some places.

The paint reflects 98.1%of solar radiation while also giving out infrared (红外线的) heat. Because the paint takes in less heat from the sun than it gives out, a surface coated with this paint is cooled below the surrounding temperature without using power. Covering a roof area of 1,000 square feet with the paint could create 10 kilowatts ofcooling power, the researchers found.“That’s more powerful than the air conditioners used by most houses,”Ruan told This Is Purdue.

You can’t buy the paint just yet, but researchers are partnering with a company to put the paint on the market. While individual action to fight elimate change can help save our planet, it’s important to note that the vast majority of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions can be traced back to 100companies. Maybe we can douse(浇) those companies with this white paint, too — it could be worth a shot.

1. What is known about the paint?

A．It has different colors.	B．It doesn’t cost much.
C．It uses heating technology.	D．It is climate-friendly.

2. What is the Queens blackout mentioned to show?

A．The poor management of power.	B．The significance of the paint.
C．The importance of air conditioning.	D．The result of global warming.

3. Which aspect of the paint is talked about in Paragraph 4?

A．Its application.	B．Its function.
C．Its composition.	D．Its disadvantage.

4. What can be learned from the last paragraph?

A．The quality of the paint needs improving.

B．The paint will bring profits to the 100 companies.

C．Researchers want to see the paint in commercial use.

D．Individual efforts matter in creating the whitest paint.

2 . Museums can be overwhelming. With thousands of pieces there, how do you know which to focus on? And once you see a piece you like, how do you interact with it? Here is some advice on how to have a meaningful connection when you look at art.

Get up close and personal.    1     Therefore, take your time to observe qualities about a work that may not come through on a computer screen. That includes its look and the feel of its surface, the marks made by the brush and the path your eyes take when viewing the work.

Stand back. Next, take a few steps back, stand in the center — and observe what’s happening in the big picture. What’s going on in the piece?     2     What are they doing? How are they related?

Look at it from an angle. Then try looking at an artwork from its sides, because you might catch something you might not have seen straight on. If it’s something like The Ambassadors by Holbein at The National Gallery in London, and if you stand to the side, you’ll see something that from front on looks very different.     3     That’s called anamorphic art.

Move your body. If you’re looking at a painting, you can take a finger to the air and trace the outline of the figure or the movement of the brushstrokes.     4     This can help you see and feel what it might be like to make this artwork from the artist’s perspective.

Consider the subject of the art. That can have a profound effect on how you feel about the work and perhaps you can learn something from it. Take the example of Andrew Wyeth’s famous painting, Christina’s World, which depicts (描绘) a girl with a muscle disease crawling across a field to get to her home in the distance. The painting personifies (体现) determination.    5    

A．So just keep an open mind.

B．What have they gone through?

C．When you stand to the side, it changes.

D．How are the figures in the piece arranged?

E．We have the luxury of seeing the real thing at a museum.

F．When looking at sculptures, try the poses with your body.

G．It can in a way relieve your stress to know we have this inner strength.

5 . Sometimes shipwrecks（沉船）contain sunken treasure, loads of gold or jewelry. Other shipwrecks are themselves the treasure—the stories of their ill-fated voyages creating a legend that makes them sparkle far more than any gold or precious stones.

The wreck of HMS Endurance, which has finally been located deep beneath the icy seas of Antarctica after being lost 107 years ago, was arguably the most valuable shipwreck ever sought. That’s because its discovery adds another thrilling new chapter to an already fascinating tale of perseverance and survival that has echoed down the decades and still inspires today.

Incredibly well preserved at a depth of almost two miles, the ship is little changed from the day in November 1914 when it finally sank beneath the ice. Endurance became embedded in ice while crossing Antarctica’s Weddell Sea. The video shot by underwater search vehicles shows painted timbers, an undamaged guardrail（护栏）and the name “Endurance” written above the five-pointed symbol of a polar star.

“I tell you, you would have to be made of stone not to feel a bit soft at the sight of that star and the name above,” Mensun Bound, the mission’s marine archaeologist, told the BBC. “You can see a porthole（舷窗）that is in Shackleton’s cabin. At that moment, you really do feel the breath of the great man upon the back of your neck.” Shackleton’s leadership was crucial to getting his men out alive. The reason why Shackleton is still applauded as a great man becomes obvious when you consider what he achieved in the face of disasters and hardships during his 1914-16 expedition. The practicality and humanity he showed in the face of severe situations was arguably praised.

1. What makes Endurance the most valuable shipwreck?

A．The treasure aboard.	B．Its inspiring stories.
C．Its undamaged guardrail.	D．The symbol of a polar star.

2. What can we infer from Mensun Bound’s words?

A．The floating ice is as hard as stones.

B．The well-preserved shipwreck is amazing.

C．The heroic deeds of Shackleton are touching.

D．The discovery of Endurance is challenging.

3. What is the text type of the passage?

A．A book review.	B．A news report.
C．A biography.	D．A travel journal.

6 . Scrolling through Instagram can quickly convince you that everyone’s life is more interesting than yours. During a particularly adventurous week on Instagram Stories recently, I saw water skiing in Maui, hiking in Yosemite and swimming with wild pigs in Bermuda. I started Googling flights to new places. Then I ordered pho, Vietnam’s national dish, from the same Vietnamese place I eat at every week and returned to the same old routine and…felt bad about not trying somewhere new.

Evolutionarily, human brains tend to find newfangled experiences more exciting and attention-grabbing than repeat experiences. They can’t process all the stimuli(刺激) around us, so we evolved to pay attention to new, flashy and potentially dangerous things more intently than familiar things, which we’ve seen enough to know they’re not dangerous. What’s more, words like ‘repetition’ and ‘repetitiveness’ tend to be associated with more negative emotions.

However, recent research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests we ought to reconsider how we digest those feelings of monotony(单调). Some previous research has painted a negative picture of repeat experiences, saying that doing the same thing twice can feel less valuable. But Ed O’Brien, a professor of behavioral science, wondered whether people actually underestimate how positively they react to repeat experiences.

To test this theory, Mr.O’Brien and his team exposed all participants to the same stimulus once in full(various stimuli were tested, including museum visits, movies and video games). Next, after dividing them into two groups, the first group of participants were asked to imagine repeating the experience, while the second actually did repeat the experience. Counter to previous research, Mr.O’Brien found that across the board, repeat experiences were far more enjoyable than participants predicted. In other words: You’re far more likely to enjoy something the second time around than you think.

“Brand-new experiences are definitely great for enjoyment,” said Mr.O’Brien. “And our studies don’t go against this idea. In many cases, the brand-new option is better. But, what our studies emphasize is that repeat options also might have high hedonic(快乐的) value and might also come with lower costs to acquire than a purely new option.”

1. What did the author think of her own life?

A．It included many exciting things.	B．It depended heavily on social media.
C．It was highly adventurous.	D．It was boringly repetitive.

2. How do our brains usually respond to stimuli from familiar things?

A．They may pay little attention to them.	B．They may process them first.
C．They may feel uncertain of them.	D．They may consider them as positive things.

3. What is the meaning of the underlined word in paragraph 2?

A．fictional

B．fascinating.

C．novel.

D．significant.

4. What did the second group of participants do during the experiment?

A．They experienced the same stimuli twice.

B．They imagined their old experiences twice.

C．They repeated similar activities many times.

D．They predicted the first group’s experiences.

8 . Travel allows us to experience the world. But as we travel, we are also leaving our footprint on every place we visit. This is why culturally immersive (沉浸) travel is so important. Because the wrong kind of travel negatively affects the world. One of the reasons we started this blog was to help others travel better and feel comfortable getting off the beaten path, interacting with locals, and take you “Beyond the traditional Bucketlist”, if you will.

People who only get 2-weeks off per year are often just looking for an easy destination with a beach to relax on. This isn’t travel. This is a vacation. But “Immersive Travel” or “Cultural Travel” is an entirely new type of trip. It is about experiencing and preserving the various traditions around the world. It’s about being open to new experiences and willing to step into another’s shoes. Cultural travel is jumping in with both feet and leaving your idea about what your trip should be behind you. It’s eating local dishes and sleeping in guesthouses. It’s building genuine connections with locals. It’s learning about the history of a country and leaving your trip with a greater understanding of the place you came to see and the people who live there.

Often times in today’s age, “travelers” will visit a country just to snap some photos of the famous sights to post on Instagram or to drink the night away, or even just to relax on a tropical beach. But that kind of vacation can be harmful to the very communities you’re traveling to.

Beyond supporting the local communities and the preservation of local customs and traditions, you’ll also experience some personal benefits through cultural travels. There’s simply no way to travel this way with a closed mind. You’ll get to know different cultures intimately and understand them a lot better. You’ll also become less judgmental of others the more you travel.

1. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the first paragraph?

A．To stress the negative influence of travel.

B．To describe the importance of cultural travel.

C．To recommend a totally different type of travel.

D．To convey his unique feelings about cultural travel.

2. According to the author, today's travelers tend to_________.

A．establish close connections with the locals during the travel

B．choose a tourist attraction for adventure and exploration

C．show more interest in the history of a travel destination

D．post the photos taken in the journey on the social media

3. What can be inferred about the culturally immersive travel?

A．It is focused on studying local people's lifestyle.

B．Its travelers should be open-minded and understanding.

C．It is a specific way to make judgments of other cultures.

D．Its major concern is preserving local traditions and customs.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A travel brochure.	B．A blog post.
C．A historic magazine.	D．An encyclopedia website.

9 . In 1868, six-year-old Laura and her family set sail from New Bedford. The little girl was taken to share the adventure and the danger of life at sea by his father, Captain Jernegan, who was unwilling to be separated from his family when he was going to hunt the mightiest animal on earth. Laura was a keen observer and writer, whose diary offers a look into her unusual childhood.

Laura was fascinated by her father's job. When the ship's lookout spotted a whale, "I hope we shall get him," she wrote. She watched as the men rushed to their whaleboats and chased the whale to within harpooning (鱼叉)distance. Once, they harpooned a whale so huge that his head was "as big as four whole rooms and his body as long as one ship," Laura wrote.

Hunting whales was only one part of a whaleman's job. As soon as a whale was caught, the crew began the hard and dirty work of processing it. The whale body smelled "dreadfully," noted Laura. The processing of the whale was finally finished when the cooled oil was spooned into barrels. One huge whale produced enough oil to fill seventy-five barrels, she noted in disbelief. When the Jernegans returned home, the oil would be sold for the best price possible. Whale oil was important during the nineteenth century when it was used to light lamps and to make candles.

Whaling was both exciting and exhausting. Yet it also had its slow moments. Weeks could go by without so much as a glimpse of a whale. Then Laura filled her days with school lessons and sewing.

When Laura was grown, she never went whaling again. By then, petrol had already replaced whale oil. This era, called the golden age of whaling, was over. So was the era of entire families going to sea. Yet Laura's diary has helped to ensure that this chapter in America's seafaring history won't be forgotten.

1. Why did Laura set sail with her father?

A．She was a keen observer and writer

B．She was fascinated by his father's job.

C．His father would hunt the mightiest animal

D．Her father wanted the family to stay together.

2. What do we know from the underlined sentence in paragraph 4?

A．Laura was tired of school lessons.	B．It took weeks to hunt a huge whale.
C．No whales could be spotted for weeks	D．The processing of the whale was slow.

3. Which of the following words best describes Laura's diary?

A．Significant	B．Dreadful
C．Conventional.	D．Practical.