1 . Being recognized by National Geographic (《国家地理》) is one of the highest aims for many photographers. 14-year-old middle school student Gong Zijie from Changsha, Hunan, received this honor in 2014.
Gong was the China winner of the 2014 International Photography Contest for Kids. It was hosted by National Geographic Kids. Gong got first place in the Wild Vacation theme section. He photographed a shadow(影子) of a weed(杂草) on the Forbidden City’s tall red walls. In famous photographer Li Shaobai’s words, “Black, red, blue; the three colors form a striking contrast(强烈对比) together. The picture is silent, which stands for past life in the palace.” So why did he choose to take this photo? “I just saw the weed and thought it looked lonely and helpless.” Gong said.
Gong has learned about photography from his father, a professional photographer who works for Hunan TV. Since the age of 4, he has been following his father to take pictures of nature and social phenomenon(现象).
Gong is a patient photographer. It took him nearly four days to take the most suitable shot of a sunset in his hometown. He spends a lot of time waiting for the perfect chance to capture the best shots.
Gong said he is worried about environmental problems. Some of his photos of the Liuyang River show serious water pollution. He plans to photograph this river at least once every year to call more attention to the river’s pollution.
1. What is one of the highest aims for many photographers according to the text?| A．To win a photography competition. |
| B．To be recognized by National Geographic. |
| C．To become well-known all over the world. |
| D．To have one’s own photographs published in a major magazine. |
| A．Past life in the Forbidden City. | B．Water pollution in the Liuyang River. |
| C．A shadow of a weed on the Forbidden City’s walls. | D．A beautiful view of the sunset near his hometown. |
| A．Take. | B．Show. | C．Develop. | D．Paint. |
| A．How Gong learned Photography | B．A Famous Photograph by Gong |
| C．The Prize Gong Earned with His Photo | D．What Made Gong a Successful Photographer |
2 . When you’re meeting someone for the first time, you’re eager to make a good impression. Your body language can make a great difference.
●Shake hands firmly
Weak handshakes can make you seem shy and anything but confident.
●
Stand up straight, but don’t tighten, or you may look nervous. Be sure to check your posture and straighten up as needed.
●Keep a suitable amount of eye contact
●Nod and smile when proper
Try nodding three times to show that you’re really absorbing what he is saying.
●Laugh genuinely
Even if you’re in a formal setting, if he has clearly said something that was intended to encourage a laugh, laugh! Show him that you have a sense of humor, and you’re listening to what he is saying.
| A．Keep your posture relaxed |
| B．Keep your feet close together |
| C．This applies to both sitting and standing |
| D．If you’re in a state of anxiety or tension |
| E．Your handshake should be firm but not too tight |
| F．It is important to keep eye contact in a conversation |
| G．When it comes to smiling, make sure it reaches your eyes |
3 . Leonardo DiCaprio cares about climate change and has made environmental protection his life’s work. Besides leading his own environmental organization, the film star sits on the board of several other organizations, and his efforts have been celebrated by the United Nations.
But while many Hollywood stars are environmentally aware(意识到的)off screen, a new study shows the movie industry isn’t doing nearly enough on screen to keep climate change in everyday conversation. Researchers studied 37,453 scripts (剧本), looking for 36 climate keywords like “climate change”. They found only about 2.8% had any mention of the keywords. However, the word “dog” was mentioned 13 times more than all 36 climate words.
The study was published with a guidebook, Good Energy, to help screenwriters to focus more on climate change in movies and TV shows. The book was written after discussion with over 100 screenwriters and producers, as well as climate experts. Information about climate has an important part in the book, along with suggestions on how to shape characters and offer climate solutions on screen, Katherine Oliver, who helped with the print of the book, said, “Our goal should be to bridge the gap between the world we live in and the modern world we see on TV.”
Salire(讽刺)is used in Don’t Look Up , which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence in a story satirizing the worlds cold reaction to climate change. Writer-director Adam McKay was among those who joined the discussion about the book. “We’ve seen how the film has created more conversation to call on people to look up,” McKay said.
Supporters of the book call this just the start and say it’s up to Hollywood to tailor scripts so that they can mirror the terrible situation the world is facing in real life. If we’re doing a scene(场景)in a supermarket, let there be people refusing to use plastic bags. Or if we’re doing scenes where we can be modeling healthy eating, then let’s have a system that can offer clean water.
1. What does the study on the movie industry suggest?| A．Most scripts are less creative than expected. |
| B．Animal protection work has achieved huge success. |
| C．The movie industry suffers from environmental problems. |
| D．The movie industry’s environmental awareness isn’t enough. |
| A．Putting more climate-related scenes on screen. |
| B．Bridging the gap between screenwriters and viewers. |
| C．Honouring film stars’ efforts to protect the environment. |
| D．Drawing viewers’ attention to problems presented in movies. |
| A．To praise Adam McKay’s writing skills, |
| B．To share the secret of this movie’s success. |
| C．To list a movie showing environmental concerns. |
| D．To explain why satire should be used in movies. |
| A．Adapt. | B．Limit. | C．Refuse. | D．Borrow. |
4 . Posture(姿势)plays an important part in health. Long-time poor posture can lead to pain and discomfort. It has also been shown that poor posture can increase the risk of disease. Solutions are needed to help people, especially students and office workers, change their posture to prevent these problems and improve their health. As a result, researchers have developed a smart fabric(织物).
People often sit in various poor postures in their daily life. This could be reduced if people were able to observe their real-time sitting posture by wearing the smart fabric. With the sitting position monitoring (监测)，users can watch their posture on the screen and make necessary changes.
The fabric was developed using TENGS, which can use movement of the wearer to collect the energy to power the posture monitoring sensor(传感器). The data collected by the sensors can provide immediate advice, warning the wearer when they need to change their posture. The fabric stretches easily and is washable and breathable. These factors are important for how people use the smart fabric, affecting the comfort of the wearable sensors and how well the fabric works.
In addition to the comfort of the fabric, another important aspect is the effectiveness of the posture monitoring. The sensors are fixed into the fabric in positions along the spines(脊椎), which can help collect data on the most common poor positions. The data is then sent to a machine, which processes key information telling how the wearer is sitting, classifying their sitting position, and monitoring how they correct their posture. This system is able to correctly recognizing the wearer’s posture most of the time.
With all these features, this monitoring clothing will help people avoid pain, discomfort, and long-term health problems. And it is believed this clothing will offer a reliable healthcare solution for long-term monitoring.
1. Why is the smart fabric developed?| A．To treat some spine diseases. |
| B．To change people’s working habits. |
| C．To help people correct their poor postures. |
| D．To start a new trend in the fashion industry. |
| A．It is self-powered. |
| B．It can be used as a charger. |
| C．It adapts to body movements. |
| D．It prevents people from sitting for long. |
| A．The advantages of the smart fabric. |
| B．The working process of the smart fabric. |
| C．The function of sensors in the smart fabric. |
| D．The ways of collecting data within the smart fabric. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Surprised, | C．Uncertain. | D．Supportive. |
5 . Surrounded by a charming poplar forest in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a woman dressed in silk, dances under falling golden poplar leaves, looking like a “fairy” from myth(神话). This is a scene from a video that has caught the attention of Chinese netizens who have seen it as one of the most beautiful tourism promotions on social media.
This elegant lady is not an actress but the director of the Xayar County(县)Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism—Renaguli Reheman. Reheman recalled that the idea to introduce Xayar county’s plentiful tourism resources through short videos was inspired by another official in Zhaosu county in Xinjiang whose short video of him riding a horse in the snow successfully helped to promote local tourism.
Reheman said shooting the videos was not easy. Thinking that having her ride a camel would be a good fit for a desert tourism promotion, she decided to challenge herself by riding the tall animal even though she was afraid of falling off. While promoting a scenic(风景优美) highway near the poplar forest, Reheman spent two days learning to ride a motorcycle.
Reheman is just one of the many local officials who are promoting county tourism with fresh ideas and creative methods. This new tourism promotion model has brought local tourism industries to life and more officials are learning from it through the county.
1. What is the woman mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．A local official. | B．An actress. |
| C．A photographer. | D．An environmentalist. |
| A．Caring and generous. | B．Brave and confident. |
| C．Creative and hardworking. | D．Humorous and kind. |
| A．From her friends. |
| B．From a tourist. |
| C．From a famous director. |
| D．From a video by another official. |
| A．Being a Star with the Short Video |
| B．Tourism Booming After the Promotion |
| C．A Great Idea Changing the Poplar Forest |
| D．A Xinjiang Local Official Promoting Local Tourism |
6 . You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams(1860-1935)
Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community (社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson(1907-1964)
If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O’Connor(1930-present)
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator(参议员) and, in 1981, the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.
Rosa Parks(1913-2005)
On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott.It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was,was tired of giving in,”said Parks.
1. What is Jane Addams famous for in history?| A．Her social work. | B．Her teaching skills. |
| C．Her efforts to win a prize. | D．Her community background. |
| A．Her lack of proper training in law. | B．The discrimination against women. |
| C．Her little work experience in court. | D．The poor financial conditions. |
| A．Jane Addams. | B．Rachel Carson. |
| C．Sandra Day O’Connor. | D．Rosa Parks. |
7 . People who enjoy running often like to take part in running events as well. Signing up for a particular event and then working towards it can be a great way to achieve goals and increase confidence.
The most common types of running events are races.
| A．The distance run is only part of each running event. |
| B．There are many different kinds of races to suit different running ability levels. |
| C．Of course, there are other events in addition to races. |
| D．Running is one of the cheapest and most affordable forms of exercising. |
| E．Running events can also be a great way to have fun and meet other people. |
| F．These meets often last all day, and winners typically receive medals after a competition. |
| G．Most of active runners have lower blood pressure compared to people who don’t run. |
8 . The cost of living in countries like the US, Britain, Australia or France has skyrocketed in recent years. However, if you’re willing to leave your country and explore life in other areas, there are many countries boasting an extremely cheap and low cost of living. Check out the following countries when planning your next move.
Ecuador
Ecuador is similar to the United States in many ways, and as a result has become a popular American getaway. They even use the US Dollar for their currency. In this country, it’s cheaper to eat out every day than cook for yourself on a budget in the US. You can even buy a building for around $ 50, 000 and hire someone to look after it while you’re away.
Mexico
Although the country is known for its poverty ridden streets, there $are many wealthier areas that provide every facility you might need. You can live off a mere $ 700 to $ 800 a month in Mexico, and this includes rent for a nice place, facilities, food, and any sightseeing.
Argentina
Argentina has been a popular tourist destination for many years. It has great restaurants, a rich history, and many places to explore. Not to mention, it’s not very expensive to live here. A decent sized home can cost around $ 139, 000, which is relatively cheap in relation to homes in the United States.
Vietnam
Vietnam has also become a popular tourist destination in recent years. There are many million-dollar luxury homes by the beach, but you can find a modest flat or a small home for around $ 25,000 to $ 50,000 if you search in the right areas.
1. In which country is the US Dollar used for its currency?| A．Argentina. | B．Mexico. |
| C．Ecuador. | D．Vietnam. |
| A．About $ 7,000. | B．About $ 8,000. |
| C．About $ 8,800. | D．About $ 12,000. |
| A．They have great restaurants. |
| B．The cost of living is expensive. |
| C．The middle-sized homes cost around $ 139,000. |
| D．Tourists enjoy travelling in the two countries. |
9 . It was a village in India. The people were poor. However, they were not unhappy. After all, their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.
Then one day, some visitors from the city arrived. They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog’s(青蛙) legs. However, they did not have enough frogs of their own, and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places.
This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around, and they were no use to the villagers. All they had to do was to catch them. Agreement was reached, and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money. For the first time, the people were able to dream of a better future. But the dream didn’t last long.
The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying was that the children fell ill more often, and, there seemed to be more insects around lately.
The villagers decided that they couldn’t just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides (杀虫剂)and medicines. Soon there was no money left.
Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frog. They hadn’t been useless. They had been doing an important job—eating insects. Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases.
Now, the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.
1. From Paragragh1 we learn that the villagers .| A．worked very hard for centuries |
| B．dreamed of having a better life |
| C．were poor but somewhat content |
| D．lived a different life from their forefathers |
| A．The frogs were easy money. |
| B．They needed money to buy medicine. |
| C．They wanted to please the visitors. |
| D．The frogs made too much noise. |
| A．The crops didn’t do well. |
| B．There were too many insects. |
| C．The visitors brought in diseases. |
| D．The pesticides were overused. |
| A．Happiness comes from peaceful life in the country. |
| B．Health is more important than money. |
| C．The harmony(和谐) between man and nature is important. |
| D．Good old days will never be forgotten. |
10 . Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system to help historians renovate the writings and identify when and where they were written.
Many ancient populations used writings, also known as inscriptions (碑文), to document different parts of their lives. The inscriptions have been found on materials such as rock, ceramic (陶瓷) and metal. The writings often contained valuable information about how ancient people lived and how they structured their societies. But in many cases, the objects containing such inscriptions have been damaged over the centuries. This left major parts of the inscriptions missing and difficult to identify and understand. In addition, many of the inscribed objects were moved from areas where they were first created. This makes it difficult for scientists to discover when and where the writings were made.
The new AI-based method serves as a technological tool to help researchers repair missing inscriptions and estimate (估算) the true origins of the records. The researchers, led by Alphabet's AI company DeepMind, call their tool Ithaca. The team said it trained Ithaca on the largest collection of data containing Greek inscriptions. Feeding this data into the system is designed to help the tool use past writings to predict missing letters and words in damaged inscriptions. The researchers reported that in experiments with damaged writings, Ithaca was able to correctly predict missing inscription elements 62 percent of the time. In addition, the tool was 71 percent correct in identifying where the inscriptions first came from. And, the system was able to effectively date writings to within 30 years.
When historians work on their own, the success rate for restoring damaged inscriptions is about 25 percent. But when humans teamed up with Ithaca to assist in their work, the success rate jumped to 72 percent. The team is currently working on other versions of Ithaca trained on other ancient languages. DeepMind has launched (发行) a free, interactive tool based on the system for use by researchers, educators, museum workers and the public.
1. Which can replace the underlined word “renovate” in paragraph 1？| A．Adopt. | B．Recover. | C．Collect. | D．Translate. |
| A．The wars in the past. | B．The development of industry. |
| C．The objects' being damaged. | D．The extinction of language. |
| A．Ithaca currently recognizes only English. |
| B．Ithaca has great market development potential. |
| C．Ithaca can completely replace historians in the future. |
| D．Ithaca cannot bring any profit to its development company. |
| A．A Shortcut to Ancient Inscriptions |
| B．Who Will Be the Historians' Right-Hand Man? |
| C．The Mysterious Contents of Ancient Languages |
| D．AI Used to Fill in Missing Words in Ancient Writings |
