1 . The spiders have long, scary legs. Some spiders even bite. But Spider-Man is another story. He might help people see spiders less negatively, a new study finds.
After Menachem Ben-Ezra, a proud fan of the Marvel films and also a psychologist, saw the movie Ant-Man and the Wasp(黄蜂), he walked out with a sudden scientific idea that he should measure people before they went into the theater, and afterwards to see if the fear of ants would be reduced or changed.
Ben-Ezra and his colleagues asked 424 people questions, about one-quarter of them about spiders, such as “Did you find them scary?” “Did seeing one make your hearts race and palms sweat?” A second group received similar questions, this time about ants. The last two groups got the same questions about other insects. Afterward, everyone watched videos. Group one got a Spider-Man movie. Group two saw Ant-Man and the Wasp. Groups three and four watched unrelated video---wheat waving peacefully in the breeze.
After viewing the movie, Ben-Ezra again asked the participants how they felt about spiders, ants or other insects in general---and found the ant and spider exposures seemed to make people insensitive and less afraid. Between 3.5 and 6.1 percent of people experience such a phobia(恐惧症) of spiders. Phobias can stop people from traveling, working and enjoying their lives.
Ben-Ezra hopes that their movie research might help people with phobias. But they caution that people with phobias shouldn’t just run out and watch movies and expect their fear to go away. “What we did is only the first step in a very long road,” Ben-Ezra says. “We didn’t say you’ll be cured. We don’t have evidence for that.” But eventually, presenting people’s fears in a positive context---such as a superhero movie---might help people surmount their fear or disgust. After all, if spiders produce Spider-Man, maybe they’re not so bad.
1. What method did Ben-Ezra use in his study?| A．By giving examples. | B．By asking questions. |
| C．By analyzing causes. | D．By making assumptions. |
| A．Overcome. | B．Subscribe. | C．Intervene. | D．Estimate. |
| A．They should travel, work and enjoy their lives. |
| B．They should keep their phobias of insects a secret. |
| C．They should adopt a positive attitude to their fear. |
| D．They should watch more super-hero Marvel movies. |
| A．The Insect Phobia Cured with Wasp. | B．The Positive Energy of Superheroes. |
| C．Spider-Man’s Spider Fear. | D．Fighting Spider Fear with Spider-Man. |
2 . Many people find bats frightening creatures. They have incredibly odd habits-like sleeping upside down, staying up all night and occasional bloodsucking.
We characterize bats as supernatural.
Contrary to what most people believe, bats are generally not blind at all and in fact are believed to have eyesight keener than that of most humans. Because they hunt mostly in the dead of night, when lighting conditions are, of course, very dark, bats rely on echolocation to pinpoint exact locations of prey.
| A．Most people also believe all bats hang upside down |
| B．This ability does not, however, require or have any connection to blindness |
| C．But you may not actually know as much about bats as you think |
| D．Another myth with bats is that they have no feet |
| E．That's no surprise with their talent for echolocation |
| F．But what if the most basic truth you've been told about bats was not true |
| G．Here are some possible reasons why they are so scary |
3 . A night at the movies is always a good idea. But when you leave the theater and realize you just dropped $45 on a ticket and some snacks, you’ll wish you had been patient enough to wait until the movie came out on Netflix. The average movie ticket price in the United States in 2000 was $5.39; now, a ticket is over $9.
The main reason that movie tickets have gotten so expensive is because of inflation (通货膨胀). It was actually more expensive to go to the movies in the 70s than it is now. A ticket in 1978 cost $2.34. If you plug that into an inflation calculator, the same ticket would cost you $9.46 today. According to the National Association of Theater Owners, the average cost for a ticket today is $9.11.
Another reason you need to spend some of your life savings to see a movie on the big screen is that theaters are competing with streaming services that produce their own films, such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. And let’s be honest, sitting at home on your sofa or in your bed is more comfortable than sitting in a cold theater.
Because of streaming technology, theaters have to do something to bring in customers. Attractions—including alcohol, reclining seats (躺椅), surround sound, and 3-D movies are all examples of that. And those upgrades come at a price, leading to more expensive tickets.
“There’s all that extra cost, and it’s really important for theater owners and companies to make that experience as enjoyable as possible,” Patrick Corcoran, vice president of the National Association of Theatre Owners told Marketplace. “Because you’re offering a superb experience—audience expectations are for the latest and greatest technology. Audiences are willing to pay more for a particular experience.”
1. According to the passage, what makes movie tickets so expensive?| A．The viewers are wealthier than before. |
| B．The movie theatres offer popcorns, alcohol for free. |
| C．Inflation has made the ticket price appear higher than before. |
| D．The popular movies with famous stars deserve the high price. |
| A．Netflix is always a better choice for movie viewers than theatres |
| B．with comfortable seats, theatres are more attractive than streaming services |
| C．the viewers actually pay more for the updates of the movie theatres |
| D．the theater owners and companies update the theaters to make the theatres famous |
| A．It’s unwise for viewers to pay so much to watch a movie in the theater. |
| B．The high price of a movie ticket is supposed to agree with a wonderful experience. |
| C．It’s a waste of money to provide the latest technology in the theatre. |
| D．The viewers would prefer to sit at home on the sofas or in the beds. |
| A．Behind the Increasing Price of Movie Tickets |
| B．Technological Improvement on Movie Theatres |
| C．The Competition between Movie Theatre and Streaming Services |
| D．How to Save the Viewers’ Wallets |
4 . Have you ever taken photos by using mobile phones with selfie sticks(自拍杆)? This new invention is a small, useful and cleverly－designed tool.
However, a pair of US artists from New Mexico, Arie Snee and Justin Crowe believe they have invented a better one and they call it “selfie arm”. For better or worse, they have taken the world by storm. It makes those people in the pictures seem to be holding hands with a loved one．
The pair say it offers a far better experience than using a straight stick. The selfie arm makes people feel they are not alone when they take photos. It seems that they are together with their friends. They think their invention solves the main problem that the selfie stick has — people look alone while they are taking pictures of themselves with great interests. The product, at present, just an art project and a model, conveniently provides you a welcoming arm. And better yet in the future, it'll talk in a friendly way and never get angry or upset. The pair say they are fascinated by these new ideas.
The “selfie arm” is made of fiberglass(玻璃纤维). It is lightweight and easytaking.
The project that they work on shows the growing selfie stick phenomenon(现象) directly and the increasing need for narcissism(自恋) and Internet agreement.
1. The selfie arm is ________．| A．the latest mobile phone |
| B．lightweight and easy-taking |
| C．cleverlydesigned but useless |
| D．a useful digital camera |
| A．a selfie stick | B．a selfie arm |
| C．a hand | D．a loved one |
| A．The storm | B．The selfie arm |
| C．The pair | D．The selfie stick |
| A．a new kind of fiberglass |
| B．a pair of artists who are interested in taking photos |
| C．an invention that can reduce loneliness |
| D．a cleverlydesigned tool for taking photos with mobile phones |
5 . The Little Prince was written by a French pilot and writer Antoine de Saint—Exupery. It is one of the most famous books around the world. It was published in 1943. This story has been translated into 42 languages and was adapted(改编) into a movie.
The little prince lives on a small planet alone. He leads a happy life. One day the winds bring him a seed. The seed then turns into the loveliest flower he has ever seen. He takes good care of the flower, but finally he decides to leave it and his planet in search for a secret—the most important thing in his life.
During his journey in space, the little prince meets a king, a businessman, a lamplighter and a geographer. They all live alone on different planets. At last he finds out the secret from a fox of the Earth. Before he returns to his planet, he tells his secret to the writer of the book, whom he meets in the desert. The secret is: the power of love.
When you read this touching and sincere story of the little prince, you can’t help smiling and feeling the beauty of life and love in your heart.
1. Where did the writer of The Little Prince come from?| A．England | B．France |
| C．America | D．Canada |
| A．who wrote the book | B．when the book was published |
| C．what is the book about | D．who adapted the book into a movie |
| A．无聊的 | B．感人的 |
| C．惊讶的 | D．失望的 |
6 . Henry worked in a factory. He came from a poor family and was in school for only four years. He had to do the hard work, but he was paid less. He liked to watch football matches very much and spent much time on them.
One afternoon there was a big football match on the playground. He borrowed some money from his friend and hurried there. There were a lot of people there. And all the tickets were sold out. He was sorry for it. He saw a pole (杆子) outside the playground and climbed it quickly. A policeman came and said, “It is dangerous to stay on it! Come down!”
“Wait a minute, please!” Henry said and just at that moment the policeman heard cheers on the playground and asked in a hurry, “Which team has kicked a goal (进球)?” “Ours!” “Wonderful! You can stay there. But take care!” The policeman said happily and left. When the match would be soon over, he came back again and asked, “Who has won?” “Theirs, 3:2.” “Come down,” the policeman said angrily. “Such a match is not worth watching!”
Henry had to come down. But soon they heard cheers again. The policeman said in a hurry, “Climb up quickly and see who has kicked a goal.”
1. Henry failed to get a ticket for the match that day because ________.| A．he had no money to buy a ticket | B．he didn’t want to buy a ticket |
| C．he had no time to buy a ticket | D．all the tickets were sold out |
| A．it was dangerous | B．Henry had no ticket |
| C．their team kicked a goal | D．the other team kicked a goal |
| A．cheer for their team | B．see the result of the match |
| C．cheer for the other team | D．say goodbye to their team |
7 . In the mid-1980s, a study compared mtDNA from people around the world. It found that people of African descent (后裔) had twice as many genetic differences from each other than as did others. Because mutations (基因突变) seem to occur at a steady rate over time, scientists were able to conclude that modern humans must have lived in Africa at least twice as long as anywhere else. They now calculate that all living humans descend from a single woman who lived roughly 150,000 years ago in Africa, “Eve”. If geneticists are right, all of humanity is linked to Eve through an unbroken chain of mothers. This Eve was soon joined by “Y-Chromosome (染色体) Adam”, the genetic father of us all, also from Africa. DNA studies have confirmed that all the people on Earth, with all their shapes and colors, can trace their ancestry to ancient Africans.
What seems certain is that at a remarkably recent date—probably between 50,000 and 70,000 years ago—one small group of people, the ancestors of modern humans outside of Africa, left Africa for western Asia, either by migrating around the northern end of the Red Sea or across its narrow southern opening.
Once in Asia, genetic evidence suggests, the population split. One group stopped temporarily in the Middle East, while the other commenced a journey which would last tens of thousands of years. Moving a little further with each new generation, they followed the coast around the Arabian Peninsula, India, and Southeast Asia, all the way to Australia. ''The movement was probably unnoticeable,'' says Spencer Wells. ''It was less of a journey and probably more like walking a little farther down the beach to get away from the crowd.''
Although archaeological evidence of this 13,000-kilometer (8,000-mile) migration from Africa to Australia has almost completely disappeared, genetic traces of the group that made the trip do exist. They have been found in the DNA of native peoples in the Andaman Islands near Myanmar, in Malaysia, and in Papua New Guinea, and in the DNA of nearly all Australian aborigines (土著). Modern discoveries of 45,000-year-old bodies in Australia, buried at a site called Lake Mungo, provide some physical evidence for the theories as well.
People in the rest of Asia and Europe share different but equally ancient mtDNA and mutations. The mutations which they possess show that most are descendants of the group that stayed in the Middle East for thousands of years before moving on. Perhaps about 40,000 years ago, modern humans first advanced into Europe.
1. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?| A．Mutations occasionally take place over time |
| B．Modern humans probably have only one ancestor. |
| C．Modern humans must have lived in Africa for a shorter time than anywhere else. |
| D．Scientists confirm all of humanity is linked to Eve with physical evidence . |
| A．Most of the migrants turned back into Africa. |
| B．They separated into two groups. |
| C．Most of the migrants moved directly into Europe. |
| D．They stayed in the Middle East for tens of thousands of years. |
| A．Discovery of human remains in Australia | B．DNA of people in Southeast Africa |
| C．DNA of immigrants to Australia | D．Discoveries from modern societies in Asia |
| A．Finding Y-Chromosome Adam | B．Who were the First Humans? |
| C．The Discovery of DNA in Africa | D．Migrating Out of Africa |
8 . The United Nations'World Food Program, WFP, won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. The Norwegian Nobel Committee is recognizing the group for its efforts to fight hunger and improve conditions for peace in areas affected by conflict. The award comes with a gold medal and $1.1 million --a small amount compared to the money the WFP needs for its work. So far in 2020, the UN agency has received almost $6.4 billion in goods and other donations.
The World Food Program has long specialized in getting assistance to some of the world's most dangerous places. For example, the WFP has air-dropped food in South Sudan and Syria. It also created an emergency service that kept working as COVID-19 delayed many flights.
In 2019, the UN agency provided aid to almost 100 million people in 88 countries. Berit Reiss-Andersen, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said on Friday, “With this year's award, the committee wishes to turn the eyes of the world to the millions of people who suffer from or face the threat of hunger.” In announcing the award, the Nobel committee noted that “Until the day when we have a medical vaccine (疫苗），food is the best vaccine against chaos.” And it added, “there will be 265 million starving people within a year, so of course this is also a call to the international community not to underfund the World Food Program.”
In Geneva, a WFP spokesman told reporters: “When everything went into shutdown mode, the World Food Programme was there. When everyone was leaving, the World Food Programme had to provide the support that the world deserved.”
Dan Smith is director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. He said the Nobel committee had wanted to send a message of both hope and support for international cooperation. “Hunger, like climate change, the pandemic (疫情） and other issues, is a world problem that can only be properly addressed through cooperation,” he told Reuters news agency.
1. The WFP won the Nobel Peace Prize because it| A．offered assistance to Sudan |
| B．fought hunger to promote peace |
| C．created services against COVID-19 |
| D．collected goods and donations |
| A．could always offer necessary aid in time |
| B．kept working as food is the best vaccine |
| C．struggled to keep offering nonstop support |
| D．defeated hunger with support from cooperation |
| A．International community is supposed to underfund WFP. |
| B．The money awarded is adequate for WFP to provide services. |
| C．Problems like hunger call for joint efforts by all the countries. |
| D．Enough attention should be paid to the importance of vaccine. |
9 . “GOING,GOING, GONE, for $3 to bidder No. 43, the lady in the last row, white hat.” The auctioneer (拍卖师） called out my auction number and location. Delighted at my victory, I took the box and gave it a shake. The contents rattled. Inside were dozens -- maybe even hundreds --of buttons, pins, and other items, all glittering in the sunlight. It reminded me of my mom's button box. As a girl, I'd always enjoyed digging through it, just as my own daughters enjoyed looking through mine.
Then I caught sight of an old woman on a swing, watching the happenings in the yard. I went to chat with her. She told me she was selling almost all her possessions because she was moving to a nursing home in town. Her eyes fell to the button box, and when she looked up, they were glistening with tears. Her fist closed around a delicate pearl button, now yellow with age. She smiled as she told me about the birth of her first child and the special pearl-buttoned outfit that would be worn by five more babies before time wore it thin.
I noticed a large, dark brass military button and asked her about it. “From my first husband's uniform,” she said. “It's one of the few things I had to remind me of him when he didn't return home alive." As we went through the box together, I pulled a small key from the box, I heard the sharp intake of her breath. It was the key to a music box that played a special love song, she said. She'd lost it years ago. From my hand to hers, I passed the key to her memories.
Hairpins, wooden nickels, and ruby buttons took her further down memory lane. I knew that when I reached my own home, my heart would pull me to my sewing room, where I would rediscover my own lifetime of memories in my own button box.
1. What do we know about the old woman?| A．She was in need of money. |
| B．She was leaving her house. |
| C．She was wearing a white hat. |
| D．She was selling her mum's button box. |
| A．Discouraging. |
| B．Amusing. |
| C．Touching. |
| D．Shocking. |
| A．A Life in a Button Box |
| B．Memories of My Life |
| C．An Old Lady at a Yard Sale |
| D．My Purchase at an Auction |
10 . You may have come across several “strange” cultural practices; some would grip you with fear, while others would leave you astonished. The wife-carrying competition in Finland falls into the latter category.
Strange as it might sound, wife-carrying is a real sport in Finland. In fact, it is a highly competitive sport in which male competitors race while each carrying a female teammate. The objective is for the male to carry the female through a special obstacle track in the fastest time. The length of the official track is 253.5 metres with two dry obstacles (障碍) and a water obstacle about one metre deep.
The first modern-day wife-carrying event was held in Finland in 1992 and foreign competitors gained admission in 1995. This event is now held annually in Sonkajärvi, Finland as the World Championship.
Although many might consider the sport a joke, competitors take it very seriously. Like every serious sport, the wife-carrying competition also has its guidelines which are set by the International Wife-Carrying Competition Rules Committee. While the International rules are the basis for all competitions, rules and prizes do vary for each competition.
It is not mandatory that you must be legally married to the “wife” to be carried, she may even be your neighbour’s wife or even someone you met during the competition; she must, however, be over 17 years of age. And her minimum weight must be 49 kilograms; otherwise, she will be burdened with a rucksack containing additional weight to bring the total load to be carried up to 49 kg. All participants must enjoy themselves. Yes, that is also one of the rules.
Special prizes go to the most entertaining couple, the best costume, and the strongest carrier. And for the grand prize, the wife’s weight in beer goes to the couple who completes the course in the shortest time. Whether you win or lose, the good thing is the sport encourages team spirit among couples.
1. Which can’t be used to describe the wife-carrying competition?| A．Fearful. | B．Astonishing. |
| C．Competitive. | D．Serious. |
| A．The first event was in 1992. |
| B．The rules are flexible for each competition. |
| C．The official track is 253.5 metres long and 1 metre deep. |
| D．By no means can wives weighing less than 49 kg participate in it. |
| A．Important. | B．Necessary. |
| C．Strange. | D．Possible. |
