1 . Masks that helped save lives are proving a deadly danger to wildlife, with birds and sea creatures trapped in the shocking number of thrown-away facial coverings. Single-use masks have been found around pavements, waterways and beaches worldwide. Worn once, the thin protective materials can take hundreds of years to decompose. “Face masks aren’t going away any time soon — but when we throw them away, these items can harm the environment and the animals,” Ashley Fruno of animal rights group PETA said.
In Britain, a gull was rescued by the RSPCA after its legs became tangled in the straps of a mask for up to a week. The animal welfare charity took it to a wildlife hospital for treatment before its release.
The biggest effect may be in the water. More than 1.5 billion masks made their way into the world’s oceans last year, accounting for around 6,200 extra tonnes of ocean plastic pollution, according to environmental group Oceans Asia.
Conservationists in Brazil found one mask inside the stomach of a penguin after its body was washed up on a beach, while a dead puffer fish was discovered caught inside another off the coast of Miami. French campaigners found a dead crab trapped in a mask near the Mediterranean.
Masks and gloves are “particularly problematic” for sea creatures, says George Leonard, chief scientist from NGO Ocean Conservancy. “When those plastics break down in the environment, they then enter the food chain and impact the entire ecosystems,” he added.
There has been a shift towards greater use of reusable cloth masks as the pandemic has worn on, but many are still using the lighter single-use varieties. Campaigners have urged people to bin them properly and cut the straps to reduce the risk of animals becoming trapped. Oceans Asia has also called on governments to increase fines for littering and encourage the use of washable masks.
1. What does the underlined word “decompose” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Burn away. | B．Produce. | C．Break down. | D．Improve. |
| A．The environmental group saves many animals. |
| B．Sea wildlife is fond of feeding on face masks. |
| C．Measures should be taken to protect sea wildlife. |
| D．Masks thrown around finally do harm to human. |
| A．By increasing fines for throwing masks. | B．By preventing the public using single-use masks. |
| C．By working with campaigners’ groups. | D．By washing face masks frequently. |
| A．Wildlife Faces a Threat from Face Masks | B．Face Masks can Harm the Environment |
| C．Animal Protection Organizations Matter | D．Government should Ban Littering Face Masks |
2 . It is not unusual for people to speak two or three languages; they're known as bilinguals or trilinguals. Speakers of more than three languages are known as polyglots. And when we refer to people who speak many languages, perhaps a dozen or more, we use the term hyper-polyglot.
The most famous hyper-polyglot was Giuseppe Mezzofanti, a 19th century Italian cardinal, who was said to speak 72 languages. This claim sounds absurd(荒谬的). If you assume each language had 20,000 words. Mezzofanti would have to learn a word a minute, six hours a day, for eleven years—an impossible task. But Mezzofanti was tested by critics, and they were all impressed.
Did Mezzofanti have an extraordinary brain? Or are hyper-polyglots just ordinary people with ordinary brains who manage to do something extraordinary through hard work?
U. S. linguist Stephen Drashen believes that outstanding language learners just work harder at it and then they acquire unusually strong language ability. As an example, he mentions a Hungarian woman who worked as an interpreter during the 20th century. When she was 86, she could speak 10 languages and was still working on learning new languages. She said she learned them mostly on her own, reading fiction or working through dictionaries or textbooks.
Some researchers argue to the contrary. They believe that there is such a thing as a talent for learning languages. In the 1930s, a German scientist examined parts of the preserved brain of a hyper-polyglot named Emil Krobs, who could speak 60 languages fluently. The scientist found that the area of Krebs's brain called Broca's area, which is associated with language, looked different from the Broca's area in the brains of men who speak only one language. However, we still don't know if Krebs was born with a brain ready to learn dozens of languages or if his brain adapted to the demands he put on it.
Although it is still not clear whether the ability to learn many languages is in born, there's no doubt that just about all of us can acquire skills in a second, third, or even fourth language by putting our mind to it.
1. The author seems to agree that__________| A．it is unusual for people to be bilinguals or trilinguals. |
| B．it is clear whether the ability to learn many languages is born |
| C．there is such thing as a talent for languages |
| D．hyper-polyglots have an inborn talent for language |
| A．Mezzofanti could remember 360 words a day | B．Mezzofanti had a special way to learn languages. |
| C．Mezzofanti's achievement was ridiculous(荒唐的) | D．Mezzofanti's language ability was astonishing |
| A．good memory | B．hard work | C．unique brain | D．learning methods |
| A．had an unusual brain | B．was born with great talent |
| C．had worked hard at languages | D．expected too much of himself |
| A．To present new findings on hyper-polyglots. | B．To introduce some famous hyper-polyglots. |
| C．To explain what hyper-polyglots do. | D．To explore if hyper-polyglots are born talented. |
3 . Many children may be fond of animals, but few ever think of making the study of animals as their career. Even fewer will be
But one woman has
When a close friend invited Goodall to Kenya in 1957, she readily
In the beginning, studying the chimps was not
In October 1960, she observed a chimp making and using
Since the mid-1980s, Goodall has been lecturing around the world to raise people's sense about environmental
| A．recognized | B．known | C．accepted | D．admitted |
| A．receiving | B．giving | C．enjoying | D．having |
| A．done | B．proved | C．achieved | D．realized |
| A．discoveries | B．decisions | C．choices | D．progress |
| A．accepted | B．refused | C．received | D．considered |
| A．only | B．last | C．special | D．first |
| A．project | B．study | C．centre | D．career |
| A．hard | B．interesting | C．easy | D．convenient |
| A．in surprise | B．in a hurry | C．as expected | D．in fear |
| A．will | B．body | C．desire | D．mind |
| A．far | B．near | C．soon | D．much |
| A．nets | B．tools | C．holes | D．spoons |
| A．doubt | B．light | C．questions | D．beliefs |
| A．close | B．similar | C．friendly | D．helpful |
| A．improvement | B．protection. | C．pollution | D．destruction |
4 . From self-driving cars to carebots for elderly people, rapid development in technology has long represented a possible threat to many jobs normally performed by people. But experts now believe that almost 50 percent of occupations existing today will be completely unnecessary by 2025 as artificial intelligence continues to change businesses.
"The next fifteen years will see a revolution in how we work, and a revolution will necessarily take place in how we plan and think about workplaces," said Peter Andrew, Director of Workplace Strategy for CBRE Asia Pacific.
A growing number of jobs in the future will require creative intelligence, social skills and the ability to use artificial intelligence.
The report is based on interviews with 200 experts, business leaders and young people from Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. It shows that in the US technology already destroys more jobs than it creates.
But the report states: "Losing occupations does not necessarily mean losing jobs-just changing what people do." Growth in new jobs could occur as much, according to the research.
"The growth of 20 to 40 person companies that have the sped and technological know—how will directly challenge big companies," it states.
A report by Pew Research found 52 percent of experts in artificial intelligence and robotics were optimistic about the future and believed there would still be enough jobs in the next few years. The optimists' pictured "a future in which robots do not take the place of more jobs than they create," according to Aaron Smith, the report's co-author.
"Technology will continue to affect jobs, but more jobs seem likely to be created. Although there have always been unemployed people, when we reached a few billion people, there were billions of jobs. There is no shortage of things that need to be done and that will not change," Microsoft's Jonathan Grudin told researchers.
1. We can infer from the text that in the future| A．people will face many difficulties | B．people will take up more creative jobs |
| C．artificial intelligence will threaten people's lives | D．most jobs will be done in traditional workplaces |
| A．people won't necessarily lose jobs |
| B．big companies will face fewer challenges |
| C．small companies will win against big companies |
| D．most people will become interested in technology |
| A．Mixed. | B．Worried. | C．Optimistic. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．there will be enough jobs for people | B．things will change a lot in a few years |
| C．many people will become unemployed | D．technology will totally change future jobs |
| A．Are People Losing Their Jobs? | B．The Requirements for Future Life |
| C．The Challenging Life in the Future | D．Does Technology Simplify Everything |
5 . Zero gravity looks cool. But what about the thing no one likes to talk about? Yes, that is right: going to bathroom. Zero gravity makes this everyday task quite a challenge. Astronauts have to be toilet-trained all over again.
The Apollo astronauts raised themselves off the seat of their chairs and stuck a clear plastic bag to their back sides with sticky strips. A second astronaut watched closely to be sure no waste matter escaped the seal. (You would not want that stuff floating around the cabin!)When the deed was done, the astronaut cleaned up with a piece of plastic attached to the inside of the bag， removed the bag, dropped a disinfectant(消毒剂)pill in with the waste matter, and put the whole thing, sealed, into a special container.
Donald W. Rethke, an engineer for Hamilton Standard Space Systems, developed a more private way to answer nature's call: the space toilet. It is somewhat like the kind of toilet one would find on commercial airplanes - with unique adaptations for zero gravity, of course. For instance, it has thigh bars that keep the astronaut from floating off the seat.
The astronaut (male or female)defecates(排便)in a bag and urinates (排尿)in a hose(软管). Solid and liquid wastes are kept separated because at least 85％ of the urine is recycled and, yes, after careful filtration(过滤), used for drinking and other purposes.（Water is always in demand in space.) A vacuum sucks the waste materials into the toilet, where the waste is compacted into hamburger-like patties for easy storage. Although not exactly like an earthbound visit to the toilet, it is at the very least much more private than in the early days of space travel.
1. What can be turned into a major challenge for lack of gravity,according to Paragraph 1?| A．Eating. | B．Taking baths. | C．Sleeping. | D．Answering nature's call. |
| A．None of the waste was separated as it is now. |
| B．Solid waste was compressed and stored on board. |
| C．The toilet units used water to remove the waste through the system. |
| D．The astronauts each used their own private restroom. |
| A．a plastic bag | B．a sticky strip | C．a wide hose | D．a thigh bar |
| A．The recycled water tastes better. |
| B．Water is limited on the space shuttle. |
| C．It is very convenient to get their urine recycled. |
| D．Space science includes recycling urine. |
6 . As a young social worker in a New York City psychiatric (精神病的) clinic, I was asked to see Roz, a twenty-year-old woman who had been sent to us from another psychiatric facility. It was a(n)
The records from the
That had not been my experience with Roz at all. I decided to
First Roz found a job, then a place to live away from her
When her treatment was
I have carried that note with me and I will for the rest of my life to remind me of the stand I take for people, thanks to one brave woman’s
| A．simple | B．predictable | C．unusual | D．visible |
| A．problems | B．differences | C．interests | D．requests |
| A．In | B．Without | C．For | D．By |
| A．and | B．so | C．but | D．or |
| A．beliefs | B．adventures | C．choices | D．relationships |
| A．discoveries | B．changes | C．decisions | D．appointments |
| A．previous | B．famous | C．nearby | D．special |
| A．delight | B．disappointment | C．surprise | D．satisfaction |
| A．accept | B．read | C．copy | D．forget |
| A．establishing | B．questioning | C．selecting | D．reducing |
| A．controlling | B．exploring | C．passing | D．surviving |
| A．reliable | B．difficult | C．joyful | D．homeless |
| A．completed | B．recommended | C．planned | D．required |
| A．entertaining | B．pulling | C．believing | D．training |
| A．preference | B．concern | C．argument | D．victory |
7 . Achieving a healthy work-life balance — an idea that has spread to countries around the world — has become one of the primary social goals today. This has resulted in an immediate need for companies to allow for a variety of work styles such as working from home, while also providing a friendly work environment that can bring out the best in each employee.
It all sounds very promising, but in reality, most offices today feature the same boring designs. To make matters worse, air conditioning is often kept to a minimum to cut electricity costs, while windows are covered with blinds to prevent dizziness from longer exposure to natural light. Employees who work indoors are forced to spend most of their days in these unpleasantly warm environments. Since the choice is to build costly new offices that are brighter and more open, there is a real need for solutions that can create a sense of brightness and openness.
This is where Mitsubishi Electric’s revolutionary new technology comes into play. It is a lighting solution to produce the exact deep blue color of a clear sky. Using this technology, offices can work in a way that was not possible with previous LED lights.
The blue skies that are seen on a clear day are produced by what is known as Rayleigh scattering (散射). Because blue light waves are shorter than red light waves, they are scattered towards us more strongly — this is why the sky looks blue during the day.
Mitsubishi Electric’s LED skylight uses the same phenomenon to artificially create the sky’s deep blue quality. It is made up of a slim sky blue panel (嵌板) and a four-sided frame. Of the four frames, only three are lit up at any given time, while the fourth remains dark as if the light were entering at an angle — an important detail that creates the false idea of actual sunlight pouring in through a skylight. Thanks to this technology, one can remain in a closed room and still enjoy the great excitement of looking up at a deep blue sky.
1. What is a healthy work-life balance like according to the writer?| A．It brings out the best of every employer. |
| B．It includes different kinds of work styles. |
| C．It encourages employees to work indoors. |
| D．It improves employees’ health conditions. |
| A．The costly choices of most old offices. |
| B．The promising future of office workers. |
| C．The virtual solutions to improve productivity. |
| D．The work conditions in the offices today. |
| A．By letting actual sunlight pour in. |
| B．By lighting three sides of the frames. |
| C．By changing the previous LED light. |
| D．By showing pictures the deep blue sky. |
| A．Pleasant. | B．Close. | C．Dizzy. | D．Colorful. |
I wake up to the sound of the wind buffeting the cloth of my tent. However, it’s
Around 9, 000 years ago, the vast sheets of ice melted in Sarek,
For hundreds of years,
Hiking with all my food and supplies is really tiring, but it is a
9 . Dream Big, Work Hard, Help Others. Those words describe NFL player JJ Watt’s approach to life and his recipe for success on and off the field.
Although JJ, who plays for the Houston Texans, is perhaps the best defensive player in the National Football League (NFL), he just focuses on being the best human being he can be. His story is one of perseverance (毅力), heart, family and caring.
Recently, JJ has also focused his efforts on helping victims of Hurricane. He has been a national leader in raising funds and bringing people together to help. But first, where did JJ get his start in life and how did he become the person he is today?
Growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, he was told that he was “too small and not big enough” to ever play professional football. “There’s no way”, they said. Instead of letting the remarks of others diminish him, he used them to inspire himself.
He grew up learning to work while everyone else rested. JJ would get up at 4:30 in the morning to work out each day. He kept believing in himself, kept fighting and never gave up. He also got great support from his parents, family and friends, which made him stronger and more confident.
JJ’s story is not just one of achieving excellence in football, but in making a difference in the lives of others. Of all the inspiring stories, one was about JJ supporting a young man who was told he would not only be a football player. Instead, he, like JJ Watt, would be devoted to helping more people in need. Another awesome story shows a remarkable friendship that JJ has formed with 3 children who suffered a great tragedy. More recently, JJ became a national leader in helping his city of Houston raise money to help victims of Hurricane.
Such is JJ Watt, a simple man with a noble mind.
1. What do we know about JJ Watt from the first two paragraphs?| A．He has his own recipe in his field. |
| B．He carries the most moving stories. |
| C．He manages to be his personal best. |
| D．He is definitely the best defensive player. |
| A．Abuse. | B．Discourage. | C．Praise. | D．Boycott. |
| A．Ambitious and caring. |
| B．Friendly and demanding. |
| C．Generous and humorous. |
| D．Hard working and determined. |
| A．To light the way for others, one must shine. |
| B．Nothing is difficult lo the man who will try. |
| C．Perseverance is the recipe for personal success. |
| D．Success means helping others make a difference. |
10 . For a long time Gabriel didn’t want to be involved in music at all. In his first years of high school, Gabriel would look pityingly at the music students,
However, one day, in the music class that was
This
| A．travelling | B．marching | C．pacing | D．struggling |
| A．rising up | B．coming up | C．driving up | D．turning up |
| A．before | B．after | C．until | D．since |
| A．betray | B．accept | C．avoid | D．appreciate |
| A．part | B．nature | C．basis | D．spirit |
| A．complicated | B．safe | C．confusing | D．easy |
| A．missed | B．disliked | C．enjoyed | D．denied |
| A．transparent | B．obvious | C．false | D．similar |
| A．ear | B．taste | C．heart | D．voice |
| A．occurred to | B．took to | C．appealed to | D．held to |
| A．seriously | B．proudly | C．casually | D．naturally |
| A．committed | B．used | C．limited | D．admitted |
| A．proved | B．showed | C．stressed | D．meant |
| A．pushing | B．dragging | C．lifting | D．rushing |
| A．over | B．aside | C．behind | D．out |
