1 . Hadi Partovi, founder of Code. org believes every student should learn the basics of computer science just like they do math, physics, or biology, regardless of what they want to do in the future. The expert says knowledge about the subject is important to understand how the world around us works and compares it to learning about photosynthesis (光合作用), even though not every student is going to be a botanist. To spark students’ interest, he created the “Hour of Code”, which introduces the world of computing to anyone, from ages 14 to 104, in a fun, interactive manner. Observed annually during Computer Science Week, the event now draws tens of millions of kids from over 180 countries.

The “Hour of Code”, which can be scheduled anytime during Computer Science Week, begins with an introductory video on computer science. Participants can then select from hundreds of fun assignments that are sorted by both grade level and coding experience. Though each project is designed to last just sixty minutes, beginners can deal with as many challenges as they desire.

To help introduce computer science in classrooms on a more regular basis, Code. org has also developed a catalog of online courses that can be incorporated in a school’s regular curriculum. Since the nonprofit began offering the courses in 2013, over 704, 000 teachers have signed up to teach introductory computer science to over 22 million students worldwide.

Thanks to the efforts of the pioneer, about 40 percent of US schools now offer computer science as a subject. The numbers are even higher — an impressive 70 percent — if after-school offerings such as robotics clubs are included. Even more encouraging, eight years ago, just 19,390 students took an Advanced Placement Computer Science exam. By the spring of 2017, the number had jumped 415 percent to 99,868.

1. Why did Hardi Partovi create the “Hour of Code”?

A．To introduce computing to more children.

B．To add a programme to Computer Science Week.

C．To help people learn computer science in a fun way.

D．To train computer scientists for his future program.

2. The “Hour of Code” is so called most probably because ________.

A．it can be scheduled anytime.

B．its projects last sixty minutes each.

C．it will surely attract more students to attend.

D．its tasks can be sorted by coding experience.

3. What do we know about Code. org’s online courses?

A．They help the developer make lots of money.

B．They have existed for over 20 years up to now.

C．Over 704, 000 teachers have been learning them.

D．Schools can use them regularly in their classrooms.

4. What do the numbers show in the last paragraph?

A．The influence of robotics clubs.

B．The effect of Hadi Partovi’s efforts.

C．The development of many US schools.

D．The efforts that Hadi Partovi has made.

2 . Finnish researchers say they have produced coffee in a laboratory that smells and tastes very similar to the real thing. The team reports that lab-grown coffee could be important as climate change continues to threaten traditional coffee farming.

       Scientists at Finland’s VTT Technical Research Center created cell cultures (培养物) from the leaves of coffee plants. The process involves floating the cell cultures in bioreactors (生物反应器) filled with nutrients. The same method is used to make other kinds of animal- and plant-based products.
       Heikki Aisala is a VTT researcher who oversaw the process. Aisala said that cups of the cellular (细胞的) coffee probably would not pass taste tests comparing it to traditional coffee. “Not like, of course, 100 percent. It tastes like a combination of different types of coffees,” Aisala said. The researcher added that while the cellular coffee is not ready for the market just yet, “it certainly does resemble coffee at the moment.” Aisala added it is possible that the lab-grown version could one day develop into a multi-billion-dollar industry.
       VTT Research team leader Heiko Rischer said cell cultures offer a more sustainable way to make coffee. This is because coffee is in high demand. This has led to countries opening up more land to grow coffee beans, which causes increased deforestation (滥伐森林). Rischer said the environmental benefits of lab-grown coffee include reduced use of pesticides(农药) and fertilizer and less need to ship coffee beans long distances to markets.
       In Europe, lab-grown coffee would need to be approved before it could be marketed. But an important question remains: Will coffee lovers actually drink the lab-grown creation? A Reuters reporter put that question to Satu, a server in a Helsinki coffee shop.
       “I think someday we’re going that way because all the natural coffee sources are disappearing,” she said. “So, we have to move along... if it tastes good and the aroma (香味) is coffee based, so why not? I think it’s possible.”
1. Compared to traditional coffee, the lab-grown coffee        .

A．has a lower cost and more production

B．hardly meets people’ S taste need

C．can’ t be accepted because of its looks

D．is unable to be produced in a large scale

2. What can we know from Paragraphs 1 and 2?

A．There’S no difference between lab-grown coffee and traditional coffee.

B．Researchers think lab grown coffee is beneficial to people’s health.

C．Traditional coffee farming are being affected by the climate change.

D．The new method can be only used to grow lab-grown coffee.

3. Researchers seem doubtful whether        .

A．the taste of the lab-grown coffee can be improved

B．the lab-grown coffee will be approved in Europe

C．the customers will accept the lab-grown coffee

D．natural coffee sources will disappear in the future

4. Cell cultures provide a better way to make coffee because        .

A．it doesn’t need pesticides and fertilizer

B．it’s extremely friendly to the environment

C．it will increase the forest coverage

D．it reduces the fuel consumption of ships

3 . Wonderful Destinations You Can Explore in the World

While travel is still just a dream for many, we know that some of you are now eager to pencil in your next adventure. We are now taking bookings for our 2021 and 2022 tours, offering the following destinations.

The Dolomite Mountains in Italy

8 days; September 6, 2021

Go on a gentle outdoor tour through the impressive Dolomite Mountains where scientists investigate several scientific phenomena including geology, ecology, deep time and astronomy.

The gateway to the solar system in Iceland

8 days; November 20, 2021

Visit the sites where scientists test space mission in the world. You will visit remote lava fields, glaciers and Mars rover (巡视器) test sites to explore how technology can help us research other worlds, as well as adapt to our own climate challenges.

The Fjords of Norway

7 days; January 18, 2022

Explore the Fjords of Norway as you start the winter voyage to watch the wonderful northern lights and underwater life of the Arctic. Learn about the science behind the northern lights, watch whales from the sea, try your hand at dog sledding or simply relax around a campfire under the stars.

The volcanic fields in Italy

8 days; September 3, 2021

Experience the beauty and power of two of the world’s most impressive active volcanoes on Mount Etna and Mount Stromboli. Explore the Aeolian Islands of Lipari and Vulcano while enjoying scenic landscapes and Italian warmth.

Whether you are ready to book or just want to carry on dreaming for now, we expect you to enjoy looking through some of the new tours we have created. For more information on all our new tours for 2021 and 2022, visit www. new scientist. com/tours.

1. What do the first two destinations have in common?

A．They are main lava fields.	B．They focus on science.
C．They open on the same day.	D．They are space mission bases.

2. What can visitors do in the Fjords of Norway?

A．Feed whales from the sea.	B．See the wonders of the Arctic.
C．Enter the gateway to the solar system.	D．Explore Sea life in the company of scientists.

3. Where can visitors explore active volcanoes?

A．In Mars rover test sites.	B．In the Fjords of Norway.
C．On Mount Etna and Mount Stromboli.	D．On the Dolomite Mountains and Aeolian Islands.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A website.

B．A newspaper.

C．A guide book.

D．A research report.

8 . What’s next after the smartphone?

Humans can perform tricks today that magicians couldn’t have imagined 50 years ago. Armed with only a tiny device today, our smartphone allows us to access a lifetime’s worth of information, connect with anyone in real time even if they are miles away and perform complex tasks like drawing a floor plan within minutes. But, the most astonishing part of this technological “magic” is the speed at which new opportunities and experiences are coming out.

From generation to generation, we have seen the inevitable connection between humans and technology as advancements are adopted to serve us and improve our quality of life. And the rate of technological progress is doubling every year.

Twenty years ago, who would have thought that we would be walking with robots and cyborgs (半人半机器的生物)? With the advancement of technology, we humans are accepting digital technologies to improve and extend our senses and capabilities.

Take Moon Ribs and Neil Harbison for example. They are the founders of the Cyborg Foundation, which aims to help humans become cyborgs, defend cyborg rights and promote cyborgs as social and artistic movement. Both Ribs and Harbison are cyborgs, with Ribs having a seismic chip put into her arm so she can feel earthquakes all around the world in real time and Harbison, who is color blind, has an antenna (天线) put into his head to allow him to be aware of visible and invisible colors via sound waves.

This is only the beginning of beginnings. As we continue to spend more time with machines, the more they will become embedded (嵌入) in our lives. Technology already feels like it has a mind of its own, and over the next two decades, this will become even more pronounced.

Machines will eventually become as intelligent as us, and, while today they may just live in our pockets, tomorrow they could be in our blood stream and our minds, linking us to the cloud. And as this gap separating humans and machines continues to close, we will reach a point where we become indistinguishable from one another. Technology and humanity will fuse (融合) together some day in the near future.

1. The first paragraph of the passage is intended to tell readers         .

A．smartphone brings us much convenience

B．the magical and powerful functions of smartphone

C．the most astonishing technological magic of smartphone

D．new opportunities and experiences are coming out at a high speed

2. What does the underlined word “inevitable” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Unavoidable.

B．Unbelievable.

C．Unreliable.

D．Unrealistic.

3. Neil Harbissonb is a cyborg that can         .

A．help human to create other cyborgs

B．sense colors by using sound waves

C．see both visible and invisible colors

D．feel earthquakes all around the world

9 . What does the man mean?

A．He thinks the movie is terrible.

B．He likes the movie very much.

C．He thinks Eva acted well in the movie.