1 . Discovering the proper classification for each piece of household waste before throwing it out—and avoiding fines of up to 50,000 yuan—has become as simple as taking a photo thanks to the efforts of a group of young programmers.
They have applied speech and picture recognition technologies to apps and other smartphone services to guide Shanghai residents through China's first mandatory garbage-separation plan. The rules require every citizen and institution to classify waste into four categories-recyclables, kitchen waste, hazardous waste and residual waste—with a long list of items in each category. Previously, everything went into one dustbin, and the dramatic change has made many Shanghai residents worried. Many residents say they are struggling to master the details quickly.
To smooth the process and raise public awareness, Shanghai government launched a campaign featuring posters and TV programs introducing garbage-sorting techniques.
“It has become a lasting topic for my family's mealtime discussions,” 27-year-old Shanghai resident Fang Chengxiang said. He said they used the Internet to find out how to classify waste properly. “I would often Baidu the name if I got confused,” Fang said, referring to China's leading search engine.
Most of the apps and services, which began springing up last month in app stores, on messaging tool WeChat and mobile payment service Alipay, allow users to type in the name of waste to identify which category it belongs to.
One of the apps using speech recognition is What Garbage, whose downloads topped 130,000 in the first week after it was released early this month.
It was designed by zzz studio, a team made up of a programmer, an advertising art director and a visual designer. Since they all have 996 jobs—meaning they work from 9 am to 9 pm six days a week—the app was designed in what little spare time they have.
Liu Yiyi, 23, a member of the studio, said it was designed to help people through the transition period, and it especially helps people sort ambiguous items. Actually, Liu Yiyi added, as Chinese become accustomed to rules, people will use the apps less often.
1. What can we learn about the garbage-separation plan?| A．The plan has benefited many cities. | B．The plan can only be carried out in Shanghai. |
| C．The plan initially came out from large cities. | D．Some apps can be used to help carry out the plan. |
| A．To draw main media’s attention | B．To make the plan easier to carry out. |
| C．To help people master the garbage details. | D．To stress the importance of sorting garbage. |
| A．The transition period will last a long time. | B．These apps can only help sort ambiguous items. |
| C．Chinese will become accustomed to these apps. | D．Less people will use these apps in the future. |
| A．Benefits of garbage-separation plan. |
| B．Significance of garbage-separation plan. |
| C．Young programmers make garbage-classification easy. |
| D．Carrying our garbage-classification plan is difficult. |
2 . Very few animals except dolphins, chimpanzees (黑猩猩)，and elephants have ever passed the mirror test for self-recognition. Scientists believe they have found a fish able recognize itself in a mirror. The result is surprising because this ability is usually only found in animals with bigger brains. Even humans don't usually pass the mirror test until they are about a year and a half old.
To test the wrasse (隆头鱼), a small fish in the sea, scientists put each wrasse in a tank with a mirror. They gave the fish a chance to get used to the mirror and watched their reactions. At first, the wrasses challenged the "other fish" by swimming up to the mirror and "fighting" them with the mouth. But soon the wrasses seemed to understand that something funny was happening. They began to swim toward the mirror upside down or in other unusual ways. It was like they were testing whether the fish in the mirror were really themselves.
Once the wrasses seemed used to the mirror, the scientists gave the wrasses a mark by putting the fish to sleep and injecting something under their skin. Some of the fish got a brown mark. Other fish got a clear "mark" that didn't have a color and couldn't be seen in a mirror.
After looking in the mirror, the wrasses with the brown marks would rub the area with the mark against the sand in the bottom of the tank. Then they would go back and look in the mirror again, as if checking if the mark was still there. But when wrasses with brown marks were put in tanks without mirrors, they didn't try to rub their marks away. And wrasses with clear "marks" didn't either, even when they could see themselves in the mirror.
The unexpected results are making some people look hard for other ways to explain how the wrasses reacted. So even though the wrasses seem to have passed the mirror test, the scientists will need some time to reflect on exactly what that means.
1. Why do the scientists feel surprised about the result?| A．The fish has a big brain. |
| B．Elephants failed to pass the mirror test. |
| C．Chimpanzees are as clever as dolphins. |
| D．The fish succeeded in passing the mirror test. |
| A．They swam in unusual ways. |
| B．They were unaware of themselves in the mirror. |
| C．They thought the mirror interesting. |
| D．They wanted to challenge themselves. |
| A．They would rub the area with the mark against sand. |
| B．They would pay no attention to marks. |
| C．They would rest in the bottom of the tank. |
| D．They would swim upside down to the mirror. |
| A．Why Are Fish Smarter than Expected? |
| B．Do Colors Affect the Experiment? |
| C．How Is the Mirror Test Conducted? |
| D．Can Fish Recognize Themselves in the Mirror? |
3 . Dogs wag (摇摆) their tails in different directions depending on whether they are excited and wanting to move forward or threatened and thinking of moving back, a study has found.
Researchers in Italy examined the tail wagging behavior of 30 dogs, catching their responses to a range of stimuli (刺激物) with video cameras. To conduct the study they chose 15 male dogs and 15 female ones aged between one and six years. The dogs were all family pets whose owners had allowed them to take part in the experiment at Bari University. The dogs were placed in a large wooden box with an opening at the front to allow for them to view various stimuli. They were tested one at a time.
The researchers led by Professor Giorgio Vallortigara of the University of Trieste found that when the dogs were shown their owners—a positive experience—their tails wagged energetically to the right side. When they were shown an unfamiliar human they wagged to the right, but with somewhat less enthusiasm. The appearance of a cat again caused a right-hand side wag, although with less intensity again. The appearance of a large unfamiliar dog, similar to a German shepherd, changed the direction of tail wagging to the left. Researchers thought the dog was thinking of moving back. When the dogs were not shown any stimuli they tended to wag their tails to the left, suggesting they preferred company. While the changes in the tail wagging were not easily noticed without the aid of video, it was thought that the findings could help people judge the mood of dogs. Computer and video systems, for example, could be used by professional dog trainers to determine the mood of dogs that they were required to approach.
1. The video cameras were used to catch the dogs’ responses because________.| A．it was easier to catch the dogs’ response changes in the tail wagging |
| B．the dogs were put in the wooden boxes and tested one at a time |
| C．they enabled the dogs’ owners to know about their dogs’ habit |
| D．the dogs wagged their tails in different directions when they were in different moods |
| A．surprise | B．worry | C．excitement | D．interest |
| A．wag to the left | B．wag to the right |
| C．not wag at all | D．wag to the left and then to the right |
| A．to train dogs for their owners | B．to help people judge the mood of dogs |
| C．to help dogs find company | D．to help people choose their pet dogs |
4 . Most of us think of tears as a human phenomenon showing human emotion. But they’re not just for crying: All vertebrates (脊椎动物), even reptiles and birds, have tears, which are extremely important for maintaining healthy eyesight.
Now, a new study, published this week in the journal Frontier in Veterinary Science, shows that non-human animals, tears are not so different from our own. The chemical similarities are so great, in fact, that the composition of other species’ tears—and how they’re adapted to their environments—may provide a new view in better treatments for human eye diseases.
Previously, scientists had studied closely only the tears of a handful of mammals. In the new study, the tears of reptiles and birds for the first time were analyzed. Tears form a film—a very thin layer over the eye that consists of three ingredients: mucus (黏液), water, and oil. The mucus coats the eyes surface and helps to stick the film to the eye, the water is a natural salty solution containing proteins (蛋白质) and minerals, and the oil prevents the eye from drying out.
Humans are the only known species to produce emotional tears; the expression “crocodile tears”, which refers to a person’s false emotion, comes from the tendency of crocodiles to release tears as they eat.
But tears play key roles beyond weeping, notes Lionel Sebbag, a scientist at Iowa State University, in Ames. They help with vision and also protect the eye against infection and provide nutrition to the cornea, the eye’s clear outer layer.
By providing information about how to protect the vision of, for example, sea turtles, which are endangered, the study could provide some useful information for environmentalists. If we understand what makes up a healthy tear film, then we can understand how environmental effects can harm an animal’s eyes. Learning how reptiles and birds use tears may also inspire new treatments for conditions such as dry eyes, which occurs when there is not enough oil existing in tears. The disease, common in cats, dogs and people, can sometimes lead to blindness.
1. What do human and animals’ tears have in common?| A．Chemical composition. | B．Harmful effects. |
| C．Emotional function. | D．Flowing speed. |
| A．Dresses. | B．Covers. |
| C．Forms. | D．Cleans. |
| A．More tears mean better vision. | B．The cornea has much nutrition. |
| C．Tears shelter eyes from being infected. | D．Weeping contributes to eye diseases. |
| A．Tears, a barrier to eyes. |
| B．A better treatment for eye diseases. |
| C．Non-human tears promise new cures. |
| D．Other species’ tears are similar to humans’. |
The most
6 . Where did the idea of “white bikes” come from? In the 1960s, a group of cycling fans came up with an idea. They believed that it would be better for everybody if cars weren’t allowed in the city centre and only bicycles were. They were hopeful that this would help to save energy, reduce pollution and provide free public transport. The group painted hundreds of bicycles white and placed them in many areas around Amsterdam for people to use. Anyone was allowed to take them and use them for short journeys. People would leave the bike in the place where they finished their journey, so that someone else could then take it and use it from there. Soon after, however, problems came up and the “white bikes” all disappeared — thieves stole them all in a matter of weeks!
Why did the group come up with the idea of “white bikes”?
| A．To ensure traffic safety. | B．To reduce transport costs. |
| C．To encourage physical activity. | D．To promote green transport. |
| A．They didn’t open their wings. |
| B．They didn’t stop moving around. |
| C．They didn’t come down from the tree. |
| A．Talk about them at her school. |
| B．Send them to the local paper. |
| C．Enter them in a competition. |
However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘Dog’, and dogs can learn how to talk ‘Cat’.
What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than was previously suspected. Once familiar with each other’s presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.
The significance of this research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets -- to people who don’t get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.
1. The underlined word “swimmingly” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.| A．early | B．sweetly | C．quickly | D．smoothly |
| A．they are cold to each other |
| B．they look away from each other |
| C．they misunderstand each other’s signals |
| D．they are introduced at an early age |
| A．have common interests |
| B．are less different than was thought |
| C．have a common body language |
| D．are less intelligent than was expected |
| A．We should learn to live in harmony. |
| B．We should know more about animals. |
| C．We should live in peace with animals. |
| D．We should learn more body languages. |
1. 环境优美；
2. 歌舞之乡；
3. 热情好客。
最后邀请Tony来你的家乡做客。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
Dear Tony,
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
10 . Exposed soil isn’t part of nature’s master plan. Good examples where soil is naturally found with no plants growing in are beneath freshly removed trees, or where the ground has been burnt by a land fire. In these situations bare soil isn’t bare for long; within days seedlings (芽) begin to appear and cover the ground. In a few months’ time, the scar is hardly noticeable.
Unlike these natural examples, ploughed (耕犁) fields and freshly dug gardens are obvious examples created by man. But, left to nature, even these bare soils soon turn green with a large number of tiny seedlings. In fields, gardens and on grasslands, roadside and sports fields, along streets and on paths and pavements, we are constantly battling to stop weeds from growing. All we are doing is stop the recovering powers of nature.
Whenever soil is exposed, weeds act like a kind of medicine to reduce the potentially harmful rays of the sun, so the sooner plant growth covers the soil over again, the better.
Weeds also help to improve the fertility (肥沃) of the soil. Their roots get the soil together, improving its structure and creating a more stable environment in which soil life can grow fast. Those weeds with a deep root draw up plant nutrients from deeper in the ground, making them available to plants growing near the soil surface. Above ground, the stems (茎) of weeds help trap fallen leaves which break down into the soil, adding to the fertility of the soil.
As the soil becomes more fertile, different kinds of plants start to replace the “pioneering” weeds. Bushes move in to take the place by gradually shading them out, followed in turn by trees, which eventually push up through the bushes, finally shading them out too. Fallen leaves from the bushes and trees carry on the job of building soil fertility that was begun by those very first weeds that grew on the bare soil. Then, when one of these mature trees is removed in a storm, leaving a wound of bare soil in the earth, the whole process starts again.
1. When will soil be left bare?| A．A land fire has just happened. | B．A young tree is planted in. |
| C．No one ploughs the land. | D．No crops are planted in. |
| A．Seedlings appearing in gardens. |
| B．Reducing harmful rays of the sun. |
| C．Removing weeds from pavements. |
| D．Replacing plants in sports fields. |
| A．They create soil life. |
| B．They help improve the soil. |
| C．They get nutrients from the sun. |
| D．They break down fallen leaves. |
| A．By adding more weeds to the soil. |
| B．By taking out the weeds constantly. |
| C．By removing the previous bushes. |
| D．By making use of the fallen leaves. |
