1 . The first apes evolved 20 million years ago in the forests where they would go up a tree to get their food, and then come back down to move on to the next tree. Getting out of a tree presents all kinds of new challenges. Big apes can’t afford to fall because it could kill or badly injure them. Natural selection would have favored those with body structures that allowed them to descend safely.
Dartmouth researchers report in the journal Royal Society Open Science that apes probably evolved free-moving shoulders and flexible elbows to slow their descent from trees as gravity pulled on their heavier bodies. These flexible body parts passed on from ancestral apes would have allowed early humans to climb trees at night for safety and comedown in the daylight unhurt. When early humans transitioned from forests to open savannas (热带稀树草原), flexible shoulders and elbows were crucial for gathering food and using tools for hunting and defense.
The researchers used sports analysis and statistical software to study how primates(灵长目动物) like chimpanzees and small monkeys called mangabeys climbed in the wild. They found that chimps and mangabeys scaled(攀爬) trees similarly, with shoulders and elbows mostly bent close to the body. When descending, however, chimpanzees extended their arms above their heads to hold on to branches, much like a person using a ladder, to counteract(抵消) their heavier weight pulling them downward.
Luke Fannin, the lead author of the study, emphasized that their findings highlight the importance of “down climbing” in the evolution of apes and early humans. He explained, “Our research introduces the idea that down climbing played a significant role in shaping the structural differences between monkeys and apes, which eventually manifested in humans.”
“Our field has thought about apes climbing up trees for a long time, but we’ve been ignoring the second half of this behavior,” said Professor Jeremy DeSilva, “The findings are among the first to identify the significance of “down climbing” in the evolution of apes and early humans.
1. According to paragraph 1, apes would have been favored by natural selection if .A.they have sufficient food resources. |
B.they come down from trees securely. |
C.they master skills of climbing up trees. |
D.they cure themselves when they’re injured. |
A.The similarity of two primates in tree climbing |
B.The evolution of two primates’ adaptation to nature. |
C.The analysis of primates’ tree scaling and descending |
D.The application of different research methods and tools. |
A.Descending trees has been neglected by researchers for a long time. |
B.The study is the first to recognize the significance of down climbing |
C.The evolution of apes and early humans is a result of down climbing. |
D.Studies on climbing down trees are more likely to have new findings. |
A.Chimpanzees and Mangabeys: Researches in Natural Settings |
B.Apes and Humans: A Comparative Study of Climbing up Trees |
C.Shoulders and Elbows: Evolved as Brakes for Downclimbing Apes |
D.Apes’ Climbing Strategies: How to Use Different Body Parts Flexibly |
2 . When we open a news app, we’ll notice that every second, we are presented with so much information that our brain just can’t keep it. The matter is made worse by our belief in “multi-tasking” which is, more often than not, simply another term for divided attention.
Control the information flow
Set up a new account on social media and follow only accounts or people that are really valuable.
It is unnecessary to throw away the phone but do give ourselves a time limit, Say, “I will only use this app for 20 minutes” or “I will only read this magazine after dinner.”
Acknowledge our limits
We’ll never read all the news. We’ll never read all the “must-read” articles.
A.Set a time limit |
B.Focus on one task |
C.Pick only the content which entiches us |
D.In other words, our brain is better than we think it is |
E.Accept the fact that we can only choose two or three |
F.After all, we are human beings who can only take in so much a day |
G.Actually, it’s much better to have a little remembered than a lot forgotten |
3 . IT’S A TYPICAL morning: you wake up, take a shower, brush your teeth, and then prick (刺; 扎) your arm with a tiny needle. Wait, what? Unless you have a serious disease such as diabetes, you probably haven’t ever tested your own blood. But in the future, that might change.
The company Cor already sells a system for home blood testing. You stick your arm using a supposedly painless, one-off , blood-drawing cartridge (针筒) about the size of a lipstick. Then you stick the cartridge into a device that looks like the base for an electric toothbrush. A few minutes later, an app on your phone buzzes with updated information, including your current health data and tips on what to eat and how to exercise during the day.
It’s true that blood contains a wealth of information about a person’s health. Blood tests can show if a person is infected with a disease or at risk for a variety of problems, including a heart attack or a stroke. But most people don’t test their own blood until a doctor says it’s time. Healthy young adults get regular blood tests about every five years. These tests happen at a lab, where a technician or a nurse sticks a long needle into the arm to draw out several tubes full of blood. Cor and similar companies, such as WellnessFX, are trying to change all that. They think people deserve access to more information about their own health.
But not everyone is convinced that regular blood testing for healthy people is a great idea. Cor’s system is expensive and may not offer much benefit. “The lightest result here is that you lose your money and then you’re reminded to get more sleep and to eat more fruits, vegetables, and fish,” Pieter Cohen of Harvard Medical School told the New York Times. “The worst result is that you end up getting frightened by probably abnormal results that are actually completely normal for you.”
Plus, the results of a home blood test might be wrong. It’s hard to get accurate results from a tiny amount of blood. So what do you think? Is monitoring your own health via pinpricks the way of the future? Or is it better to leave blood testing to medical professionals?
1. Why does the author mention the typical morning in the first paragraph?A.To explain a scene. | B.To introduce the topic. |
C.To make a comparison. | D.To provide an example. |
A.It is painless and cheap to use. |
B.It has won popularity among people. |
C.It offers accurate health information about our body. |
D.It may give advice on our diet according to the health data. |
A.Objective. | B.Subjective. | C.Supportive. | D.Negative. |
A.Home blood tests: yes or no? | B.Should blood tests be allowed at home? |
C.A new system of improving your health. | D.Home blood testing: your health monitor! |
4 . A study from the University of Montreal and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, published in Frontiers in Medicine, found that regular virtual visits to museums could help seniors stay mentally active and come with a host of additional health benefits. That’s because these digital connections can make retirees feel less lonely and isolated (孤立的).
Social isolation has been associated with the risks for heart disease and the decline of recognition abilities in seniors and the pandemic (疫情) increased the risks due to the need for seniors to stay home and isolate, according to a press release from the university.
The researchers investigated the potential benefits of weekly virtual visits for a three-month period. The participants were people aged 65 and older who lived in Montreal. Half of the participants took part in online visits and a discussion afterwards, while the control group did not participate in any cultural events at all. The group who participated in the virtual visits showed improvements in their quality of life. “Our study showed that art-based activities may be an effective intervention,” lead author Dr. Olivier Beauchet, a professor at the University of Montreal, said in the press release. “On a global scale, this participatory art-based activity could become a model that could be offered in museums and arts institutions worldwide to promote active and healthy aging.”
The initiative reflects approaches recommended by the World Health Organization to manage certain diseases, according to Beauchet. For instance, the WHO launched the Aging and Health Program in 2015 that included using community-based organizations to promote culture as a key component of improving health. Traditionally, these sorts of preventive health activities have taken place in schools, community centers, and workplaces. “While these are suitable locations that reach a great number of people, there are additional organizations and sectors that could become partners in public health research and practice development,” Beauchet said. “Museums are among such potential partners. They are aware of the needs of their communities and are consequently expanding the types of activities they offer.”
1. How do seniors benefit from regular virtual visits to museums?A.They get survival skills. | B.They raise interest in art. |
C.They improve quality of life. | D.They connect more with family. |
A.Participants come from the whole world. | B.The museum needs better cultural events. |
C.Face-to-face discussion is a useful intervention. | D.Seniors should attend more art-based activities. |
A.To advocate. | B.To entertain. | C.To advertise. | D.To warn. |
A.The Aged Form a Community to Reduce Loneliness |
B.Virtual Art-based Activities Bring People Together |
C.Online Museum Trips Improve Seniors’ Well being |
D.Retired Individuals Pay More Visits to Museums |
5 . Never climbed before? It doesn’t matter! Boulders Indoor Climbing Centre is a fantastic outing for the whole family that’s guaranteed to pack your day with fun and adventure! No experience is necessary.
Under the guidance of qualified instructors, you will step outside of your comfort zone in a safe and controlled environment. All equipment is provided — just bring your spirit of adventure and your willingness to challenge yourself! Boulders specializes in introducing people of all abilities into this vertical (垂直的) world in a fun, safe and inclusive way!
With climbing walls that reach between 4 to 12 metres in height, Boulders, whose task is to teach you all the skills required to climb safely, is designed to train the bravest explorer. You will learn how to move around the climbing wall in a safe manner, and how to differentiate (区分) between grades and varieties of techniques.
There’s even a café on site with free Wi-Fi, so send the children to climb and check in with the office while you’re enjoying a skinny latte! Boulders offers a wide range of climbing activities, including:
Climbing classes for children, families, students and adults
Birthday parties for all ages
Children’s holiday activities
Soft play for children 7 years old and under
Climbing-Introduction courses
Opening hours: Mon.-Thur. 10:00-22:00
Fri. 10:00-21:00
Sat.-Sun. 10:00-18:00
Price: Adults £15 Children £10
The price includes entry to the wall after the session, your one-off registration fee and shoe hire.
Family pass: £38
Up to 4 persons. Rental shoes & chalk included.
1. Which is the requirement for the climbers in Boulders Indoor Climbing Centre?A.Awareness of safety. | B.Being brave and adventurous. |
C.Previous experience of rock climbing. | D.Abilities to communicate with others. |
A.To instruct the climbers to gain skills of climbing safely. |
B.To help instructors to enjoy the spirit of adventure. |
C.To guarantee the climbers out of their comfort zones. |
D.To equip learners with abilities to design climbing walls. |
A.Having soft play at 10 am on Wednesday. |
B.Attending a birthday party at 8 pm on Saturday. |
C.Taking climbing classes at noon on Sunday. |
D.Attending climbing classes at 9 am every Friday. |
6 . Mia Samolinski attended the same school as Anthony Zhongor, an 18-year-old freshman, but the two had never met. That night, their paths crossed in the most remarkable way.
Mia had just gotten into her car and was about to drive away, but she hit the gas instead of the brakes. Security footage (录像) shows the car rushing over a sidewalk, hitting a trash can, and then plunging (突然前冲) into the dark, cold water of the bay in just a few short seconds. People rushed to look in the water, but only one person jumped in after Mia, and it was Anthony.
“She went pretty deep in there,” the teenager recalled. “She was striking the door and the window, trying to break the window, of course, and that got me nervous and scared for her, so I just took my clothes off and went into the water.”
Mia’s car began to sink rapidly, but she couldn’t get the doors or windows open. Anthony tried to get the doors open from the outside, but couldn’t quite manage it. As the seconds ticked by, the teenage hero realized he could use his own body weight to push down the heavy front end of the car, making the back end stick out of the water. Mia climbed into the back and managed to escape through the rear hatch (后备箱盖). She and Anthony swam to the shore together. As soon as they were safe, tearful Mia thanked Anthony sincerely for saving her.
Like so many heroes, Anthony did not set out to save a life that night. But he was in the right place, at the right time. “It doesn’t matter who it was, he or she was suffering,” he said, “I couldn’t watch anybody suffering in front of me.”
1. What led Mia into the accident?A.The brake’s failing. |
B.Her wrong operation. |
C.Her awkward driving skill. |
D.The complex traffic situation. |
A.He opened the back door. |
B.He broke one of the windows. |
C.He kept the back of the car out of the water. |
D.He managed to push the car to the shallow end. |
A.Brave and helpful. |
B.Creative and gifted. |
C.Lucky and friendly. |
D.Generous and careful. |
A.Heroes are never accidental. |
B.Heroes come from teenagers. |
C.Heroes are not born but made. |
D.Behind every hero hides a tragedy. |
7 . In habitats across the planet, animals periodically drop everything to walk, fly or swim to a new place. Some animals such as whales and geese learn migration paths by following their parents. Others, including small songbirds, gain the distance and direction of their migration within their genetic code. And some animals use a combination of genetics and culture to guide their migration.
Another group of migrators does not quite fit either model, and researchers have only recently started to figure out how they find their way. The Cory’s shearwater is an oceangoing seabird that migrates over the Atlantic every year. The young do not migrate with their parents, so culture cannot explain their journeys. And the exact paths vary wildly from individual to individual, making genetics equally unlikely.
Cory’s shearwaters are long-lived, rarely producing young successfully before age nine. This leaves an opening for learning and practice to develop their migration patterns. Researchers call this the “exploration-refinement”, and until now it has been hypothetical (假设的) because of difficulties in tracking migratory animals’ movements.
But a team of researchers has done that by attaching small geolocators to more than 150 of the birds aged four to nine. They found that younger birds traveled longer distances, for longer periods, and had more diverse paths than older birds. “We finally have evidence of the ‘exploration-refinement’ for migratory birds,” says Letizia Campioni, who led the study. Younger Cory’s shearwaters are able to fly just as fast as the adults——but they do not, suggesting that the young do more exploring, which gradually fades as they mature and settle into a preferred course.
“Although it may seem less efficient than other strategies, exploration refinement could be beneficial to birds and other organisms in a rapidly changing world due to unpredictable man-made changes,” says Barbara Frei. “It might be safer to repeat a behavior that was recently successful than to rely on patterns that were perfected long ago but might no longer be safe.”
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?A.It describes animals’ habitats. | B.It compares different species. |
C.It talks about migration models. | D.It introduces a tracking technology. |
A.The opening for learning and practice. |
B.The unique living habit of Cory’s shearwaters. |
C.The process scientists track Cory’s shearwaters’ movements. |
D.The way Cory’s shearwaters form their migration patterns. |
A.They travel as much as adult birds. | B.They lower the speed for exploration. |
C.They move in a predictable manner. | D.They look for a course with their parents. |
A.Exploration refinement contributes to birds’ adaptability. |
B.Man-made changes make migration easier. |
C.Animals make a safer journey via a fixed track. |
D.A combination of strategies assures migration success |
8 . The sound of children’s laughter is not something you often hear at a hospital. Yet in the hallways of Children’s Health of Orange County (CHOC Hospital) in Orange, California, the joyous sound of kids having fun will soon be a common occurrence. That’s because Honda teamed up with the hospital to create a first-of-its-kind electric car made just for kids!
Shogo is the child-sized electric ride-on car, which was built by Honda through their charitable “Project Courage”, an initiative aimed at adding some much-needed happiness to the days of children battling with serious illnesses in hospital.
Shogo was made entirely by Honda’s engineers, and they’re incredibly proud of it. The car has been used at CHOC in place of wheelchairs. Now, patients can drive themselves to their treatment s in various parts of the hospital, giving them a reason to look forward to these procedures instead of dreading them.
Shogo is meant for child drivers aged 4 through 9. The car has a simple stop/go mechanism they can easily use, and it’s capable of going about one to five miles per hour. Don’t worry, though; the speed is controlled not by the kids but by a nurse or caregiver walking alongside the car.
Safety was at the top of the engineers’ minds when making Shogo. Besides, the vehicle has no doors so kids can easily get in and out, a soft-to-the-touch interior that can be washed to stay sanitary (卫生的) in a hospital setting, and it comes equipped with an I. V. pole holder. There’s even a toy holder and a horn with different sound options, and kids can create their own custom license plate for the built-in holder. So far, every patient who has tried Shogo has absolutely loved it!
What a fantastic invention! There’s nothing more beautiful than the sound of kids having fun, and we’re so delighted that caregivers at CHOC will get to hear that sound more often from now on.
1. Why does Honda build Shogo with CHOC Hospital?A.To improve the service quality of nurses. |
B.To initiate the charitable “Project Courage”. |
C.To make hospital stay more fun for sick kids. |
D.To help patients know their treatment procedures. |
A.Being busy with. | B.Being afraid of. | C.Catching up with. | D.Taking control of. |
A.The little patients’ driving license. | B.The advanced equipment on the car. |
C.The design by the Honda’s engineers. | D.The company of a nurse or a caregiver. |
A.Shogo can be easily controlled by the child drivers. |
B.Shogo can offer a tiny patient a pleasant experience. |
C.More Shogoes will be used in place of wheelchairs. |
D.Honda’s engineers are proud of the design of Shogo. |
9 . Do you know that about 71 percent of our planet is covered by the ocean (海洋) ?
Without oceans, life couldn’t exist. Scientists don’t know the exact number, but they think that oceans are home to 50 percent to 80 percent of all species on Earth, from large whales to tiny plankton. Oceans absorb carbon dioxide and give out oxygen (氧气).
Humans use the ocean in many different ways. Lots of our food comes from oceans.
For World Oceans Day, you can use social media platforms to share posts, photos or videos showing how important oceans are and why we need to protect them.
A.There are five oceans on Earth |
B.You can also watch ocean-related films |
C.That’s why we call Earth the “Blue Planet” |
D.Our oceans play an important part in our lives |
E.Oceans also provide us with much of our energy |
F.World Oceans Day is a time to know about the fish in the ocean |
G.Half the oxygen we breathe comes from the plants in the ocean |
10 . The Clubs of Liberty High School
Welcome to our school! We offer a wide range of clubs to cater to the interest and talents of our students.
Sports Club
Our Sports Club is perfect for students who enjoy physical activities. We offer various sports such as basketball, soccer, tennis, volleyball and more. Through regular practices and friendly matches, the students will develop teamwork and leadership skills. Join Sports Club through Jessical6012@yahoo. com.
Science Club
Do you have a love for experimentation? Science Club is for you! From chemistry to physics and biology, Science Club provides a platform for you to improve your scientific knowledge and develop critical thinking skills. Call 610-691-3612 for more information.
Music Club
Music Club invites students with a love for singing or playing musical instruments. It also offers opportunities for songwriting and composing. Join us to create beautiful melodies and harmonies together! You need to fill in a club registration form in the Main Office.
Community Service Club
Community Service Club pays attention to serving the local community through various volunteer and charity activities. We organize fundraisers, donation drives and social outreach programs. By joining this club, you’ll have the opportunity to develop empathy while contributing to the community’s development. For the application, you can call 610-691-6625.
1. Which club helps the students develop teamwork?A.Sports Club. | B.Science Club. | C.Music Club. | D.Community service Club. |
A.By writing a letter. | B.By filling in a form. |
C.By sending an email. | D.By making a phone call. |
A.Create popular songs. | B.Develop leadership skills. |
C.Do some voluntary work | D.Learn scientific knowledge. |