2 . There is a profound relationship between science fiction and science. It is often said that stories change the world, what is less often heard is that stories change science, and therefore the future.

The use of science fiction to explore our world is similar to plot planning in Futures Studies, which shapes our ideas about: the future, and goes beyond predicting artifacts that once seemed impossible to us like Verne’s submarine or the satellites of 2001 Space Odyssey.

In the words of Dutch researcher Sofia Kaloterakis, “Science fiction narratives structure our imaginative models about techno-scientific projects such as robotics or space exploration". Have you ever wondered how science fiction novels have impacted the idea we have about Artificial Intelligence or how Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson’s novel, has impacted what we now call the Metaverse (元宇宙)?

Science fiction helps us define possible futures. It provides us with an understanding of the rules underlying fictional worlds. It also allows us to put technological prototypes (原型) in the context of their use by humans. But most importantly, it determines the way we structure scientific thought and intervene (干预) in the future.

Alex McDowell, creator of the Minority Report, and Peter von Stackelberg explain what fictional narratives can bring to the table;

The richness of “storyworlds” — the “universes” within which stories take place — provides us with detailed rules of the context in which a larger reality unfolds that extends beyond a single story, and has the potential to provide us with deeper learning about the underlying systems that regulate those worlds.

Lastly, the relationship of future narratives to theories such as Social Constructivism has been highlighted by several scholars. A central idea of this sociological theory is that whenever we use words or other symbols to refer to objects in our world, we are constructing them. And, therefore, prediction is also a social construction. In narrating, we intervene in the world. In narrating the world, we construct it. In writing science fiction, we intervene in the science of the future.

1. What is the text mainly about?

A．The storyworlds created by science fictions.

B．Artifacts and technologies in science fictions.

C．Science fiction narratives affecting future studies.

D．The relation between science and science fictions.

2. What is the most important role of science fiction?

A．It provides us with technologies and tools.

B．It allows us to establish reasonable future.

C．It helps us learn the rules of fictional world.

D．It decides our thinking and affects the future.

3. What do we know about “storyworlds”?

A．There are general rules for a single story.

B．They have a potential context within a story.

C．There are no regulations or guiding systems.

D．They are the “universes” where stories happen.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Scholars care little about narratives about future.

B．Objects can’t be constructed by words or symbols.

C．The science of future intervenes in today’s science.

D．Science fiction narratives can construct future worlds.

5 . The Great Wall, China

Stretching over 21,000 kilometers, the Great Wall was built to prevent invasions and has a history of more than 2,000 years. UNESCO in February, 2019 called it an absolute masterpiece, not only because of the ambitious character of the undertaking but also because of the perfection of its construction.

But perfection isn’t protection. 51.2 percent of the Great Wall either has already disappeared or is at significant risk of disappearing. Besides wind and rain erosion, the main reasons for the destruction of the Great Wall are human factors such as tourism, construction, and human contact.

Pamukkale, Turkey

Pamukkale, which means “cotton castle” in Turkish, is famous for its shining white calcite terraces (方解石阶地) with warm and mineral-rich water flowing.

Before being listed as a World Heritage Site in 1988, Pamukkale had been severely damaged by human activities. People used hot spring water to fill swimming pools; some visitors stood on the rocks and some even bathed in the hot springs with soap and shampoo. To protect the terraces, the Turkish government has decided to pull down the hotels and require all tourists to visit this site barefoot.

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Home to over 400 types of coral and 1,500 species of fish, the Great Barrier Reef draws visitors to Australia from all over the world.

However, the Great Barrier Reef is expected to suffer increasingly frequent bleaching events, cases in which corals turn white and may die, according to a UNESCO report. The heatwaves caused by global warming have killed half of the coral here in the past two years, according to a CNN report. Pollution from industry development and harmful fishing practices are also big concerns.

The Dead Sea, on the Israel-Jordan border

At 429 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is 8 times saltier than the ocean, meaning that the water is so dense that even tourists who can’t swim will be able to float.

But the seaside resorts built in the 1980s now sit kilometers away from the edge of the water, which has lost half of its surface area in the past 40 years. The damage is irreversible due to the nature of the mineral industry and the type of the agricultural use that consumes lots of water.

1. Which of the following are you required to visit without shoes?

A．The Great Wall, China.	B．Pamukkale, Turkey.
C．The Great Barrier Reef, Australia.	D．The Dead Sea, on the Israel-Jordan border.

2. Which of the following statements is true?

A．The main reason for the destruction of the Great Wall is wind and rain erosion.

B．Pamukkale was damaged by human activities after 1988.

C．Pollution and the heatwaves caused by global warming killed much coral in the Great Barrier Reef.

D．Half of the Dead Sea’s surface area has disappeared in the past two decades.

3. What do the above spots have in common?

A．They are all famous endangered natural spots.

B．They’re damaged only by human activities.

C．They all draw the attention of the governments.

D．They’re all seriously damaged.

6 . San Francisco Botanical Garden

The San Francisco Botanical Garden is one of the most diverse gardens in the world. The garden is a living museum within Golden Gate Park, offering 55 acres of both beautiful gardens and open spaces.

The San Francisco Botanical Garden is open during COVID-19. The garden is free to all San Francisco residents and garden members. We are also continuing to offer free admission every morning to everyone from 7:30 am to 9 am — a fantastic time for bird-watching. The second Tuesday of the month is also free to everyone.

San Francisco Botanical Garden Free Days

Second Tuesday of every month

Free daily from 7:30-9 am

Always free for San Francisco city and county residents

Always free for garden members and school groups

Regular cost: $9 / adults weekdays, $12 / adults weekends; $7 / youth and seniors; $3 / children; children 4 years old and younger free

Hours

Open daily, starting at 7:30 am. The garden closes one hour after last entry. Last entry changes seasonally.

Last entry:

Fall & Winter

October through early November: Last entry at 5 pm

1st Sunday in November through January: Last entry at 4 pm

February through 2nd Saturday in March: Last entry at 5 pm

Spring & Summer

2nd Sunday in March through September: Last entry at 6 pm

1. What do we know about the San Francisco Botanical Garden?

A．It is free for local people.

B．It is closed during COVID-19.

C．It is free for everyone on Tuesdays.

D．It is located near Golden Gate Park.

2. How much does it cost a foreign adult to visit the garden on weekends?

A．$3.

B．$7.

C．$9.

D．$12.

3. At which of the following time can visitors enter the garden?

A．4 pm in June.	B．5 pm in December.
C．7 pm in March.	D．6 pm in February.

7 . As a kid, Joanna Buckley wasn’t interested in science—until she had a chance to try it. That happened when she got a chemistry set as a gift.

“Over the course of a few weeks, I’d completed every experiment. But in the process, I polluted my parent’s dining room carpet and burnt the kitchen worktop with the spirit burner,” she says.

Now science is Buckley’s job. She works in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Sheffield in England. “I realize, first­hand, how important it is to have something or someone to show you why science is so great, ” she says. Now the good news is that citizen science appears.

Citizen science takes the fun of experimenting a step further than Buckley’s at­-home experiments. That’s because these experiments are real, looking for novel answers.

“Compared with a one­off experiment, what’s cool about citizen science is that students get that this has a purpose,” says Amy Prunuske, who teaches microbiology and immunology at a medical college. “Students want to do a good job, because they know scientists are going to use the new data in their own research.”

Jennifer Long’s job is to coordinate (协调) education and outreach. She agrees with Prunuske. “Kids like that it’s real. And they like that it’s important, and that it matters.” Citizen science projects have made big discoveries. One found a previously unknown galaxy cluster (星系团). Another project helped assess how much damage a big earthquake had caused in Japan. And one of the first citizen science projects helped scientists learn where monarch butterflies go every winter.

Some adults worry about teens losing interest in science. They hope that fun, exciting citizen science projects can help them keep engaged, Long says. And she has some evidence that it’s working. “Last year, we did have a couple of students say, ‘I really think I want to be a scientist now’. ”

1. What is the purpose of Paragraph 2?

A．To show experiments can make teens interested in science.

B．To prove failure is the mother of success in science.

C．To state that Buckley has a talent for science.

D．To praise Buckley for her strong will.

2. Why is citizen science more fun?

A．It needs to seek for new solutions.	B．It carries out experiments frequently.
C．It must carry out experiments in groups.	D．It is supposed to handle complex problems.

3. What can we know from what Prunuske said?

A．She participated in the experiment.	B．She took pride in what students took up.
C．Citizen science is popular with students.	D．Scientists are willing to employ students.

4. What is Long’s attitude towards citizen science?

A．Concerned.

B．Supportive.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unclear.

8 . Today’s gift was to my friend Oscar in Portland who is unhorsed. I got him a $50 Kroger card so that he can buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Oscar and I have been talking a lot about gut (肠道) health and how important nutrition is.

Oscar told me that it’s really hard to get good food. Most of what is given out is past the sell-by dates. He is always grateful for the food, but he has an autoimmune (自身免疫的) disease so these kinds of foods are really making it worse. Now that spring is here, hopefully, he can get fresher produce.

I told him about the book I’m reading by Will Bulsiewicz, MD called Fiber Fueled. I’m learning so much. Today is day 70 since I started learning to make meals just from plants. The more I learn about plant-fueled eating, the better I feel about this decision. And this book is specifically about taking advantage of the body’s capacity to cure itself. So my friend ordered the audio from the library and it will come in soon. He wants to learn about this too since he has serious autoimmune issues. That’s why he lost his job and then his apartment.

Oscar is a young man I can help. I want him to heal, and find a job and a home again. I know he can do it. And I won’t stop helping him until that happens. I told him that. Once my social security checks come in, I plan to make sure he gets Kroger cards every time I get paid so that he has plenty of healthy produce.

Oscar’s page on Twitter is @MyHomelessMeals. More than anything, he shows gratitude for every single person who helps him on a daily basis. He always shares what we send if he can, too. He recently joined Service Space because he said their Mission Statement is aligned with his values. He’s quite an exceptional young man.

1. Why did the foods Oscar received make his disease worse?

A．They are rich in fat.	B．They are a little raw.
C．They are hard to digest.	D．They are not so fresh.

2. What’s the main idea of the third paragraph?

A．The author introduced a proper book to Oscar.

B．Oscar’s disease made him lose everything.

C．Oscar wanted to cure his disease quickly.

D．The author gave Oscar a book as a gift.

3. How will the author help Oscar cure his illness?

A．By helping Oscar get a well-paid job.

B．By making sure Oscar can get healthy food.

C．By recommending some restaurants to Oscar.

D．By introducing Oscar to some famous doctors.

4. What does the underlined part “is aligned with” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Transforms.

B．Matches.

C．Allows.

D．Controls.

9 . A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her, and she did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.

Her father, a cook, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and in the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them on a plate. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a glass. Turning to her, he asked, “Darling, what do you see?” “Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. She smiled, as she tasted it.

“What does it mean, father?” she asked. He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling water, but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong end hard. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they changed the water.

“Which are you?” he asked his daughter. When adversity knocks on your door in your life, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

1. What can be known from the first paragraph?

A．She found her life full of difficulties and she could do nothing about them.

B．They were very poor and the daughter complained about it.

C．She was fighting and struggling with her classmates so she was not satisfied.

D．The daughter complained about her food.

2. What happened after the father turned off the burners?

A．The carrot was hard as it had been.	B．The egg became soft and fragile.
C．There was a different change in every pot.	D．Similar changes happened in the three

3. The underlined word “adversity” most probably means

A．Temperature

B．difficulty

C．Requirement

D．attitude

4. The author wants to tell us________________.

A．that it is natural for people to complain about their difficulties in life

B．that a father taught her daughter how to cook at home

C．how carrots, eggs and coffee beans change when they are cooked

D．what we should do when facing difficulties

10 . Confident, smart and high­tech, they’re followers of pop culture and know what social networking is all about. They’re tweens, children between the ages of 10 and 12. These young people are no longer little kids but they are not yet teenagers, because tweens are in a state of transition (转变).

The tween years are hard for children. From a social point of view, tweens are dealing with quite a lot. They have to face changing relationships, middle school and a whole lot of pressure (压力) to succeed and fit in. They may become angry over seemingly small things. A bad test grade, an argument with a friend, a bad day on the ball field, or a request to clean a bedroom might set them off.

Elizabeth Hartley­Brewer, a parenting expert in London and author of Talking to Tweens, says, “The tween years are when young people begin to realize the wider world and to see themselves as the ones separate from their families.”

Right now, tweens’ friends are everything to them. It’s universal for the age, but they show it in different ways. For boys, the whole friendship thing is through technology and sports. Girls like to talk.

Tweens are also a hot market. What do tweens consider cool? Music is at the top of the cool list, followed by going to the movies. “Being smart” comes third, tied with video games, followed by electronics, sports, fashion and protecting the environment, according to a report. Undoubtedly, tweens have great spending power in the United States. It was the tween market that made Taylor Swift and Harry Potter household names. Retailers (零售商) know tweens are a hot market for clothes, music and entertainment. Tweens have their own sense of fashion and enjoy their own parts of popular culture.

1. Which word best describes the tween years?

A．Entertaining.	B．Unchanging.
C．Admirable.	D．Difficult.

2. Which of the following can replace the underlined phrase “set them off” in Paragraph 2?

A．make them annoyed

B．make them discouraged

C．cause them to run away from home

D．cause them to give up

3. What can we know from the text?

A．Tweens remain dependent on their parents.

B．Friendship is very important in tweens’ eyes.

C．Retailers pay little attention to the tween market.

D．Playing video games is second to none on tweens’ cool list.

4. Where can we most probably read this text?

A．In a marketing report.

B．In an education magazine.

C．On a fashion website.

D．On a parenting poster.