While there is growing consumer
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2020 over 12 million tons of furniture
With growing calls for sustainability, many brands are announcing to change though it remains
2 . Researchers have discovered the oldest black hole ever observed, dating from the dawn of the universe, and found that it is “eating” its host galaxy to death.
The international team, led by the University of Cambridge, used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to detect the black hole, which dates from 400 million years after the big bang. The results, which lead author Professor Roberto Maiolino says are “a giant leap forward”, are reported in the journal Nature.
This surprisingly massive black hole even exists so early in the universe challenges our assumptions about how black holes form and grow. The size of this newly-discovered black hole suggests that they might form in other ways: they might be ‘born big’ or they can eat matter at a rate that’s five times higher than had been thought possible. Like all black holes, this young black hole devours material from its host galaxy to fuel its growth.
According to standard models, supermassive black holes form from the remains of dead stars, which collapse and may form a black hole about a hundred times the mass of the Sun. If it grew in an expected way, this newly-detected black hole would take about a billion years to grow to its observed size. However, the universe was not yet a billion years old when this black hole was detected.
The young host galaxy, called GN-z11, is a compact galaxy, about one hundred times smaller than the Milky Way, but the black hole is likely harming its development. When black holes consume too much gas, it pushes the gas away like an ultra-fast wind. This “wind” could stop the process of star formation, slowly killing the galaxy, but it will also kill the black hole itself, as it would cut off the black hole’s source of “food”.
Maiolino says that the gigantic leap forward provided by JWST makes this the most exciting time in his career. “It’s a new era: the giant leap is like upgrading from Galileo’s telescope to a modern telescope overnight,” he said. “The universe has been quite generous in what it’s showing us, and this is just the beginning.”
1. What does the underlined word “devours” mean in Paragraph 3?| A．Changes. | B．Swallows. | C．Observes. | D．Forms. |
| A．Because the host galaxy is too small. |
| B．Because the black hole is killing itself. |
| C．Because the “wind” ceases star formation. |
| D．Because black holes produce too much gas. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Intolerant. | C．Doubtful. | D．Ambiguous. |
| A．The black hole took a billion years to achieve its size. |
| B．Supermassive black holes are assumed to form overnight. |
| C．The new discovery of the host galaxy is a giant leap forward. |
| D．The host galaxy and the black hole can be destroyed by the “wind”. |
3 . Concrete has served as the foundation stone of the construction industry for hundreds of years. However, the process of producing concrete is one of the most environmentally unfriendly processes in the world. In the process, not only is carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) released into the air by the energy used to heat the limestone, but the limestone itself also gives out a huge amount of the element.
Luckily, a number of start-ups throughout the world are using creative thinking to make the construction industry a whole lot more friendly for the planet.
A Canadian company called CarbonCure, has found a way to inject (注入) concrete with carbon dioxide itself. Not only does this trap the carbon dioxide into the concrete, keeping it from running away into the atmosphere, but it also creates a super strong material called calcium carbonate, which reduces the total amount of concrete that needs to be used.
California-based Brimstone, is creating carbon-negative concrete by doing away with limestone entirely and instead using silicate rock, a material that does not release carbon dioxide when heated. Instead, the process produces magnesium (镁) , which absorbs carbon dioxide, as the basis for their concrete.
Additionally, researchers at Australia’s RMIT University have recently released a study showing that adding coffee grounds instead of sand to concrete could make it much stronger, reducing both the amount of sand used, as well as the amount of concrete that would need to be used in the final product.
The biggest barrier at this point is convincing members of the industry that the new types of concrete are safe to be used, according to Stacy Smedley, director at a nonprofit focused on decarbonizing construction.
Hopefully these new solutions to the environmental problems of concrete will soon be widely adopted. Given the significant part the construction industry has in releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, great improvements can be made when more environmentally-friendly materials are used.
1. What is the environmental issue associated with traditional concrete production?| A．The high demand for energy. | B．The processing of waste materials. |
| C．The mass release of carbon dioxide. | D．The use of non-renewable resources. |
| A．By using silicate rock as the basis. | B．By putting carbon dioxide into concrete. |
| C．By replacing sand with coffee grounds. | D．By absorbing carbon dioxide with magnesium. |
| A．Difficulty in making profits. | B．Convincing the public of the convenience. |
| C．Lack of funding for research. | D．Removing the industry members’ safety concerns. |
| A．To promote an alternative to concrete. | B．To advocate environmental protection. |
| C．To introduce new ways to produce concrete. | D．To emphasize the significance of creativity. |
A cat wanders into our backyard during a thunderstorm. The cat stares at us through the kitchen window as we eat steak and garlic potatoes. She places a pa w against the window and makes a sad face.
We open the door and the cat comes right through the back door and makes herself at home on the beanbag.We give her the steak and garlic potatoes. She eats the steak but leaves the garlic potatoes.
The next evening, the cat returns. Dinner is salmon and green beans. Lucky for the cat, our children would rather eat their own shoes. The cat licks(舔) herself for an hour, making sure not to miss a single square inch of her body. She falls asleep with her paws in the air.
The children decide that the cat is ours. She has come now for seven nights, always around dinner time. No wonder, my wife says, she’s being fed like a queen. I remind my wife that the cat is eating what we are eating,which means that we too must be fed like queens.
I was rubbing her belly, and she bit my finger. Blood is drawn. If she does it again, she’ll have to go. Five minutes later, she does it again, this time to my wife. The children beg for one last chance, but my wife puts the cat out and tells it to go home. Later on, we hear the cat mewing through the bedroom window. The rain is striking the roof like gunfire. My wife sighs and rolls out of bed. Without speaking, she goes to the kitchen and cooks chicken on a frying pan. She puts a cardboard box in the shed (小屋) and puts the cat in there with the chicken. She comes back to bed. I can feel the rain on her feet.
Almost everything goes around the cat in the family. We buy cat toys and cat treats and even a bed for her.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为 150 左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I am anxious about going away for the wedding anniversary(纪念日) we have planned
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When we get back, the cat is gone
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1. 近年来开展的相关活动；
2. 最新变化。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80 左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Green Campus
Dear friends,
I am glad to meet you on our campus.
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6 . Sorting out your wardrobe(衣柜) as winter approaches? As we store away our spring and summer clothes to make room for big woolly jumpers and thick layers to survive the colder weather, there might be a few items of clothing that deserve a better home so the love you previously had for them can continue on. Luckily, the Camden Chilly TRAID Off might be able to help…plus there’s a cold, refreshing beer in it for you.
Here to help avoid those pre-loved clothes going to landfill, Camden Town Brewery has partnered with clothes waste charity TRAID for the launch of its Camden Chilly TRAID Off. The nationwide tour allows consumers to exchange their pre-loved clothes for a can of Camden’s new winter seasonal: Chilly, Cold IPA—so you can do your bit to save clothes from going to landfill and be rewarded with a refreshing drink in the process. And today’s the day for Londoners looking to exchange pre-loved clothes for free beers—so take that box of clothes you’ve been meaning to donate to the local charity shop, and head on down to the van(面包车).
Touring Manchester, Leeds and London from November 15-17, Camden and TRAID will be stationing their van at the heart of each city, ready for consumers to come down and donate any unworn or pre-loved clothing this Chilly season. Encouraging consumers to shop more sustainably this winter, the Camden Chilly TRAID Off aims to freeze out waste, while giving people good beer for a good cause.
Research from TRAID has found that 300,000 tonnes of clothing end up in landfill every year in the UK—of which it is estimated 40% is in reusable condition. Camden is encouraging British people to take another look at the estimated 1.6 billion pieces of unworn clothing in their wardrobes this winter and think about how we shop as we head towards the festive period.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To summarize the main idea. | B．To start a vivid story. |
| C．To give a good example. | D．To explain reasons. |
| A．Chilly, Cold IPA enjoys great popularity. | B．TRAID is expert at its work. |
| C．40% of clothes thrown away can be reused. | D．Camden can provide expensive beer. |
| A．People can exchange their pre-loved clothes for a beer anytime. |
| B．It is planned to do the collection in London on November 17th. |
| C．People around Britain can find the van for the clothes within 15 days. |
| D．It can pick up people’s clothes from door to door at the fixed time. |
| A．Empty Your Wardrobe for Your Winter Clothes Now |
| B．Save Earth by Reducing Landfill of Pre-loved Clothes |
| C．Get a Good Can of Camden’s New Summer Seasonal |
| D．Exchange Your Pre-loved Clothing for Free Beer |
7 . Your pet might have four legs, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get tired just as quickly as we do. Uber (优步) must have taken
Before the days of Uber Pet, booking a taxi through the app proved
Now, users of Uber Pet will be
General manager at Uber UK Andrew Brem said: “We’re really happy to be launching Uber Pet in the UK,
“With Covid 19 restrictions lifted, it’s the
Those driving with a service animal can
| A．note | B．charge | C．control | D．place |
| A．plan | B．service | C．company | D．survey |
| A．Originally | B．Ridiculously | C．Creatively | D．Suitably |
| A．persuades | B．forces | C．allows | D．promises |
| A．anywhere | B．elsewhere | C．anyway | D．somehow |
| A．donate | B．own | C．return | D．advance |
| A．comfortable | B．simple | C．hard | D．efficient |
| A．terrible | B．embarrassed | C．empty | D．cute |
| A．case | B．matter | C．policy | D．view |
| A．shared | B．connected | C．paired | D．competed |
| A．remember | B．guarantee | C．afford | D．guide |
| A．requiring | B．buying | C．removing | D．bringing |
| A．pets | B．drivers | C．riders | D．managers |
| A．only | B．perfect | C．dangerous | D．challenging |
| A．start | B．stop | C．continue | D．forget |
Thousands of animal and plant species in decline across the UK
One sixth of species on the state of UK nature is at risk of
9 . The moon’s gravity constantly pulls at the Earth. Its pull on the ocean is undeniable but some scientists have been studying less visible effects, which may be able to trigger some earthquakes, if the time is right. With the appearance of bigger and more complete dataset, this effect of the moon has started to show from the data. And it seems that in some cases, the moon did help trigger earthquakes around the world. With these huge databasets, they started to get some small but significant correlation. Chris Scholtz, a geologist and professor at Columbia Climate School, said, one place where the moon’s impact is seen clearly is in underwater earthquakes. That makes sense, given the moon’s pull on the oceans.
Scholtz and his team set out to study how the moon could be using its power on the earthquakes on the Axial Volcano. Earthquakes here are about tenfold more likely to happen when the tide has gone out. Their study found an explanation for the link between the moon and earthquakes. It showed they were caused by the weight of the ocean pressing down on a volcano’s magma chamber. Then when the tide is low, less water presses down on the chamber. This, in turn, puts more pressure on the fault-line, making it more likely to move and create an earthquake.
It’s not just in the oceans where the moon is causing disaster. The moon also causes tiny, but important, tides in rocks. “While fluids can flow, rocks can just slightly change their shape by the tidal force which promotes stress accumulation,” said Scholtz. If rocks are already over-stressed, even a small stress — the pull of the moon — can create a crack in the rock. “If surrounding rocks are also unstable, the fracture can speed up to involve large fault patches. The final outcome is an earthquake,” said Scholtz. Of course, this only happens in very specific circumstances, for instance, when the pressure from the moon’s gravitation al pull lines up perfectly with the fault-line of the earthquakes.
1. What has long been recognized as the moon’s effect on the earth?| A．Earthquake. | B．Tide. | C．Volcanic eruption. | D．Hurricane. |
| A．Big data. | B．Their team cooperation. |
| C．His initial guess. | D．Previous research results. |
| A．By pulling on the oceans of the earth. | B．By applying invisible force to the earth. |
| C．By changing the earth’s physical structure. | D．By putting pressure on the fault-lines of the earth. |
| A．The Moon — The Decisive Factor for Earthquakes |
| B．The Tides — The Moon’s Constant Pull at the Earth |
| C．The Gravity — A Hidden Trigger behind Earthquakes |
| D．The Earthquake — A Frightening Result from Over-stressed Rocks |
1. What do we know about Adam Kilani?
| A．He has a three-year-old pet dog. |
| B．He is from Matrouh Governorate. |
| C．He found pleasure in learning pet care. |
| A．The benefits of keeping pets. |
| B．The promotion of the pet culture. |
| C．The protection of homeless animals. |
| A．A carnival for pets. | B．A talent show for pets. | C．A meeting for pet owners. |
