1 . Each year, the world loses about 10 million hectares of forest—at area about the size of Iceland — because of cutting down trees. At that rate, some scientists predict the world’s forests could disappear in 100 to 200 years. To handle it, now researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have pioneered a technique to generate wood-like plant materials sin a lab. This makes it possible to “grow” a wooden product without cutting down trees.
In the lab, the researchers first take cells from the leaves of a young plant. These cells are cultured in liquid medium for two days, then moved to another medium which contains nutrients and two different hormones (激素). By adjusting the bormone levels, the researchers can tune the physical and mechanical qualities of the cells: New the researchers use a 3D printer to shape the cell-based material, and let the shaped material grow in the dark for three months. Finally, the researchers dehydrate (使脱水) the material, and then evaluate its qualities.
They found that lower bormone levels lead to plant materials with more rounded, open cells of lower density (密度), while higher hormone levels contribute to the growth of plant materials with smaller but denser cell structures. Lower or higher density of cell structures makes the plant materials softer or more rigid, helping the materials grow with different wood-like characteristics. What’s more, it’s to be noted that the research process is about 100 times faster than the time it takes for a tree to grow to maturity!
Research of this kind is ground-breaking. “This work demonstrates the great power of a technology,” says lead researcher, Jeffrey Berenstab. “The real opportunity here is to be at its best with what you use and how you use it. This technology can be tuned to meet the requirements you give about shapes, sizes, rigidity, and forms. It enables us to grow’ any wooden product in a way that traditional agricultural methods can’t achieve.”
1. Why do researchers at MIT perform the research?| A．To grow more trees. | B．To reduce tree losses. |
| C．To protect plant diversity. | D．To predict forest disappearance. |
| A．Its scientific origins. | B．Its theoretical basis |
| C．Its usual difficulties. | D．Its main processes |
| A．They are better than naturally grown plants. |
| B．Their growth speed determines their characteristics. |
| C．The hormone levels affect their rigidity. |
| D．Their cells’ shapes mainly rely on their density. |
| A．It uses new biological materials in lab experiments. |
| B．It has a significant impact on worldwide plant growth. |
| C．It revolutionizes the way to make wooden products. |
| D．It challenges traditional scientific theories in forestry. |
2 . Tai chi, a traditional, slow-moving form of Chinese martial art, is known to increase flexibility and improve balance. Now, new research suggests it’s better than more energetic aerobic exercises (有氧运动) for lowering blood pressure in people with prehypertension (高血压前期). Prehypertension is considered a warning sign that heart disease may be ahead, and it raises the risk of having a heart attack.
The new findings, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, add to a large body of research pointing to health benefits from tai chi.
In the study, researchers in China randomly assigned 342 adults with prehypertension to one of two interventions. The average age of participants was 49. Roughly half the people participated in aerobic exercises, including jogging, climbing stairs, brisk walking and cycling. The other half was trained to practice tai chi. Both groups got hour-long sessions four times a week.
After 12 months, those in the tai chi group saw bigger drops in their blood pressure than those in the aerobic exercise group. What’s more, nearly 22% of the people who practiced tai chi saw their blood pressure fall to within normal range, compared with nearly 16% of people in the aerobic exercise group. And fewer patients in the tai chi group went on to develop hypertension than in the aerobic exercise group.
How does tai chi help lower blood pressure? The practice tends to cause more of a response from the parasympathetic nervous system (副交感神经系统), says Ruth Taylor-Piliae, a professor at the University of Arizona’s College of Nursing, who was not involved in the study. The parasympathetic nervous system is the network of nerves that relaxes your body after periods of stress or danger.
“I think the beauty of tai chi is that you don’t have to have a special gym membership or special clothing,” Taylor-Piliae says. “Once you learn tai chi, you can do it anytime, anyplace, anywhere. And it does kind of provide that calming, relaxing effect.”
1. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?| A．The result of the research. | B．The process of the research. |
| C．The purpose of the research. | D．The application of the research. |
| A．By giving a definition. | B．By providing examples. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By presenting different opinions. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Negative. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Tai chi Helps Relax Nervous People |
| B．Tai chi Helps People Prevent Prehypertension |
| C．Tai chi Plays a Crucial Role in Treating Patients |
| D．Tai chi Reduces Blood Pressure Better than Aerobic Exercise |
3 . Exhausted, Jia Ling ate five packs of chocolate cookies alone at night by her bed after wrapping up filming for her new film YOLO that day. “Recalling that moment, I felt so great, like a tired soldier claiming the spoils of war,” she said.
By then, she had lost an incredible 50 kilograms, and her entire image had changed. The chubby (胖乎乎的), round and cute comedian Jia Ling was gone, replaced by a cool, muscular warrior.
Audiences were shocked by her appearance on Chinese New Year’s Day, Feb.10, when the film was first released. Jia had kept everything so secretive, avoiding public appearances for a year, that her new look was only revealed when she appeared on the big screen. Conversations about her high-intensity weight loss training, along with her courage and determination, have become trending topics across China, propelling the film’s box office earnings.
YOLO, which stands for “you only live once,” is the theme Jia aims to tell in her new film. The story follows an overweight, depressed woman who becomes isolated from society. However, after meeting a boxing coach and taking up the sport, she begins to regain her passion and finds her way in life. The filming was divided into five stages. Jia had to gain 20 kilograms at first for the role, moving on to the final stage when she lost a significant amount of weight and became muscular. This method mirrors what some Hollywood stars, such as Christian Bale, have done, but Jia’s effort is jaw-dropping and takes it to an even more extreme level.
Yet, the film’s core goes beyond physical transformation. “This film is not about weight loss, nor is it much about boxing. It’s a film that tells the story of how a kind person finds her true self and learns to love herself,” Jia said.
1. What does the underlined word “propelling” in Paragraph 3 mean?| A．Disturbing. | B．Restoring. | C．Driving. | D．Slowing. |
| A．Generous and funny. | B．Determined and courageous. |
| C．Creative and sensitive. | D．Ambitious and enthusiastic. |
| A．A woman’s pursuit of boxing glory. |
| B．A woman’s journey through weight loss. |
| C．A woman’s struggle with social pressure. |
| D．A woman’s discovery of self-love and acceptance. |
| A．The early bird catches the worm. | B．Actions speak louder than words. |
| C．It’s never too late to change. | D．Don’t cry over spilled milk. |
4 . Jordyn Perez was about to turn 8 years old when her mom suggested a new way to celebrate her birthday. “What would you think about donating your gifts to a children’s hospital?” her mom said. At first, Jordyn wasn’t sure. Then she gave it some thought. “I was like,’ Okay, that’s cool,’ ” Jordyn said. “I already had everything I needed, and these kids that were going through things at the hospital—they needed it more than I did.”
“Just to see these kids’ little faces when Jordyn hands them the gifts at the hospital, that’s always been our favorite part,” says Jordyn’s mother. “Seeing these kids’ reactions just touches our hearts.” Kids can be in the hospital for lots of reasons, for example, asthma, a condition that affects breathing. Whatever the patient’s ailment, a hospital stay can be stressful. Efforts like Jordyn’s are a bright spot during a difficult time.
Since that time, it has kicked off each year in early November, five or six weeks before her birthday. Along with an invitation to her party, Jordyn’s friends get a list of gift ideas for kids at the hospital. For the littlest patients, gifts might include building blocks or toy trains. “And for the teenagers, my age or older,” Jordyn says, “it might be music player or books.”
Natalie Gutierrez works in the public relations office at Baptist Children’s Hospital. She has seen first-hand the effect of Jordyn’s gift-giving. “She puts smiles on the faces of these little patients in our hospital and on our nurses and staff,” Gutierrez says. Jordyn’s efforts to help kids in the hospital have inspired others to follow in her footsteps. More boys and girls have collected and given gifts for their birthdays too. “Giving to others, it’s just a good feeling to have at the end of the day,” Jordyn says. “I want to keep doing this as long as I can.”
1. What can we learn about Jordyn from paragraph 1?| A．She wasn’t satisfied with her birthday gifts. | B．She accepted her mother’s advice. |
| C．She was busy choosing gifts for kids in hospital. | D．She wanted a new way to celebrate her birthday. |
| A．Treatment. | B．Expectation. | C．Illness. | D．Reaction. |
| A．In January. | B．In December. | C．In November. | D．In October. |
| A．To introduce her hospital work. | B．To recommend some suitable gifts. |
| C．To explain Jordyn’s great difficulties. | D．To show the effect of Jordyn’s behavior. |
5 . Soap (肥皂) might seem like a reasonable way to avoid mosquito bites (蚊子叮) on the basis that if mosquitoes can’t smell you, they can’t bite you. However, a recent study has found that rather than protecting you, certain soaps might actually make you more attractive to mosquitoes.
In the study, conducted at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, four volunteers were asked to wear a sleeve before and after washing with four different brands of soap. The researchers then watched female mosquitoes as only females feed on blood landing on the fabric sample to show their preference. They found that some people washing with some brands of soap, increased their attractiveness to mosquitoes, while washing with other brands of soap tended to repel (驱除) mosquitoes. The repellent effect of some soap may be due to its coconut scent, as coconut oil is known to act as a natural mosquito repellent. The reason behind this attraction is believed to be related to mosquitoes’ sugar intake. When mosquitoes are not feeding on blood, they add their diet with plant juice or sweet water from flowers, “The fact we are taking those flowery and fruity smells and putting them on our bodies means that now the same object smells like a flower and a person at the same time,” said Clément Vinauger, who led the study. It would be like waking up and smelling the smell of coffee and bread, very attractive.
Interestingly, the effects of the soap varied among people, possibly due to the interaction (相互作用) between the soap and each person’s unique body scent. “It’s remarkable that the same person that is extremely attractive to mosquitoes when he is unwashed, but he becomes even more attractive to mosquitoes with one soap, and then become repellent to mosquitoes with another soap,” said Vinauger. Further research is needed to better understand the interaction between different soap and body scents, as well as to develop more effective mosquito repellents.
1. What has the study found?| A．Soap attracts many mosquitoes. | B．Male mosquitoes feed on blood. |
| C．Some plants drive away mosquitoes. | D．Not all soap can stop mosquito bites. |
| A．By observing the mosquitoes’ behaviour. | B．By exploring the history of mosquitoes. |
| C．By interviewing a lot of volunteers. | D．By examining old studies. |
| A．To stress the importance of breakfast. |
| B．To discuss their probable health benefits. |
| C．To compare the difference of objects used in the study. |
| D．To prove the attractiveness of some soap to mosquitoes. |
| A．Health. | B．Chemistry. | C．Sports. | D．Tour. |
6 . Make full use of your senses, discover hidden talents and enjoy a new interest at the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Learn the following lessons of the adult education programme. Our expert instructors offer virtual learning in different kinds of topics.
Beginning Watercolor
Wednesday 28 February
Watercolor is a fresh, beautiful way to express the beauty of a sunset or the reflection of trees and clouds on a pond. You will learn to make expressive marks, mix colors, and apply water mindfully to achieve the amazing effects watercolor offers.
Organic Vegetable Gardening Basics
Thursday 29 February
Learn the basic techniques and tools required to grow your own vegetables. Site selection, bed and soil preparation, seed sowing, transplanting, and harvesting techniques will be covered. You will receive a packet of seeds to grow at home.
Essence of Internal Martial Arts (武术)
Friday 22 March
Whether your goal is to improve your practical skills and your well-being, or you are simply interested in the internal martial arts, this class will provide a strong foundation (基础) for your practice. Instead of fixed forms, the class focuses more on the necessary rules and fundamental training. It provides a detailed study into effective ways of body use and a well organized way of building health while connecting the mind and body.
Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects
Sunday 7 April
Are you interested in controlling insect pests (害虫) in your garden naturally? You can finish this by planting a variety of beautiful plants that attract pollinators and other beneficial insects. By learning about adult beneficial insects, their hungry larvae and their preferred plants, you can effectively reduce or remove pest populations.
1. What is the right time for attending Beginning Watercolor?| A．Wed. 28 Feb. | B．Thurs. 29 Feb. | C．Fri. 22 Mar. | D．Sun. 7 Apr. |
| A．Beginning Watercolor. | B．Organic Vegetable Gardening Basics. |
| C．Essence of Internal Martial Arts. | D．Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects. |
| A．They are virtual learning. | B．They are for children. |
| C．They are about body health. | D．They are designed to show instructors’ talents. |
7 . There are a number of animals that give off light in some way-including several kinds of insects and fish. Some kinds of mushrooms give off light, too. But most plants don’t give out light. Now, scientists are working to change that.
When a living thing gives off light, it’s called bioluminescence (生物发光). Fireflies are a well-known example of bioluminescence. Though less well-known, many mushrooms are also bioluminescent. These bioluminescent creatures light up thanks to the chemicals called luciferins (荧光素)inside their bodies. Luciferins cause a chemical reaction that can give off light.
Plants don’t naturally have luciferins, so there are no naturally bioluminescent plants. But that hasn’t stopped scientists from trying to create them. In the past, scientists have created plants that made less bright by adding DNA from shining objects. Scientists have also created plants that can give off light by adding luciferins to plants. But it only works as long as the chemicals last. In 2017, a team was able to cause a plant to give off light for about four hours.
Now, researchers at a Russian company have come up with a new method of creating shining plants. By adding certain parts of the DNA from shining mushrooms to ordinary tobacco plants, the researchers were able to create plants that could make their own luciferins. The scientists reported that the light was about 10 times brighter than in earlier shining plants.
The researchers believe that shining plants could help scientists learn more about the way plants work. For example, the moving patterns or waves of light in the plants may show activities in plants that normally can’t be seen. The shining also helps reveal how plants may be affected by things around them. For example, the plants gave off much more light strongly when a ripe banana skin was nearby. But the researchers don’t think the plants will just be used for science. They think many people may want shining plants for their beauty. So they are working with a company to develop shining plants for sale.
1. What phenomenon does the author describe in paragraph 1?| A．Most animals hate giving off light. |
| B．Many plants give off light through scientists’ efforts. |
| C．Animals give off light to protect themselves. |
| D．It’s hard to find plants that give out light. |
| A．It gives off lots of heat to warm itself. |
| B．It has chemical reactions inside its body. |
| C．It lacks energy due to chemical reactions. |
| D．It informs other fireflies of the danger. |
| A．By showing numbers. | B．By making a comparison. |
| C．By providing examples. | D．By making a summary. |
| A．Human development results in less shining plants |
| B．Scientists manage to create shining plants |
| C．People’s lifestyles are reflected in shining plants |
| D．Geography determines the types of shining plants |
8 . Sponges (海绵) — is there anything they can’t do? For thousands of years, humans have used dried natural sponges to clean up, to paint and as containers to consume liquids like water or honey. Whether artificial or natural, sponges are great at collecting tiny pieces with their many small holes.
Recently, researchers in China published a study describing their development of an artificial sponge that makes short work of removing microplastic pieces. The tests show that when a specially prepared plastic-filled solution (溶液) is pushed through one of their sponges, the sponge can remove microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics from the liquid. Researchers tried it in everything from tap water and seawater to soup from a local takeout spot.
According to Guoqing Wang, a materials chemist at Ocean University of China and co-author of the paper, the sponge is adjustable. By adjusting the temperature, the sponge can be made to have more or fewer holes, which affects the size of the microplastic pieces collected. The sponge, if ever produced on an industrial scale, Wang says, could be used in wastewater treatment factories to remove microplastics from the water or in food production facilities to avoid polluting water.
There are shortcomings to the sponge’s possible adoption, though. The sponge is made mostly from starch and gelatin (淀粉和明胶), which are important to the food industry, meaning that there could be intense competition for the key ingredients in the future. Besides, starch and gelatin are able to break down naturally and harmlessly. However, the process developed by Wang and his co-workers to make their sponge uses formaldehyde, a highly poisonous chemical, and there were small amounts of this in the sponge itself.
When it comes to dealing with microplastic pollution in the ocean, Alice Horton at the United Kingdom’s National Oceanography Center says what she is confident about is that efforts to remove microplastics after they have already reached the ocean are probably certain to fail. “I don’t think there is anything we can do on a large enough scale that will have any impact,” she says. “We have to stop them getting there in the first place.”
1. What special characteristic of the new sponges is shown during the tests?| A．Their environmental friendliness. |
| B．Their operability and low production costs. |
| C．Their good performance in catching plastic pieces. |
| D．Their possibility of helping break down microplastics. |
| A．The high cost of recycling them. | B．The poor quality of the products. |
| C．A shortage of the raw material. | D．A lack of skillful operators. |
| A．All roads lead to Rome. | B．Time and tide wait for no man. |
| C．Many hands make light work. | D．Prevention is better than cure. |
| A．To advertise a new sponge. | B．To introduce a new invention. |
| C．To stress the damage of plastic. | D．To popularize the sponge’s usage. |
9 . My hometown is in a county (县) called Yongtai which is in Fuzhou of southern China.
Several days before the Chinese New Year, every family starts to prepare for the celebration. First of all, we do the spring-cleaning to welcome a new and clean year.
On the first day of the Chinese New Year, fathers will set off fireworks to “wake up the Chinese New Year”; mothers start to prepare a big breakfast.
On the first day just family members spend time together. From the second day on, every family will start to welcome the visitors and they can enjoy the get-together time, which is really nice.
| A．My favourite dishes are niangao and fish |
| B．Children will stay up late on New Year’s Eve |
| C．A fish dish is a necessity on the table every year |
| D．The next step is to prepare food for the New Year’s Eve dinner |
| E．After the spring-cleaning, every family starts to decorate their house |
| F．When the evening of New Year’s Eve comes, children will be very excited |
| G．Everyone should wake up by themselves and appear at the table in their new clothes |
10 . 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. |
