Mussels in Port Phillip Bay are taking in microplastics used in cosmetics(化妆品). The microplastics travel from bathroom sinks to the ocean, where they are easily confused with seaweeds. Because the mussels cannot tell the difference, they take in the plastic along with their normal diet of seaweeds.
According to researcher Dr Charlene Trestrail, the plastic doesn’t affect mussels directly, but it does reduce their ability to digest the real food. It means they miss out on energy and nutrients, which affects their ability to grow and reproduce.
“Besides being a tasty treat for humans, mussels play an important role in keeping marine ecosystems healthy,” Dr Trestrail said. “And because of the reduced ability to grow and reproduce, we could see a drop in mussel populations, with knock-on effects for other marine wildlife.”
While environmental campaigners have worked hard to reduce the amount of plastic in the oceans from easily visible items such as shopping bags and packaging, most people are not aware of the impact of microbeads and other hidden plastics in products including toothpaste or bath scrubs.
“We know lots about how plastics affect animals externally—we’ve all seen photos of birds and turtles twisted in plastic—but this is the first study to investigate how tiny plastics affect animals’ stomachs,” Dr Trestrail said.
There has been a push in recent years to reduce microplastic pollution. But while the Government has supported phasing out(淘汰) microbeads, some cosmetics industries stopped short of banning their use.
We need to take pollution from microplastics seriously. Because they’re so small, once they’re in the ecosystem they are impossible to remove. The only solution is not to use them in the first place.
mussel
1. Why do mussels eat microplastics?
2. What will eventually happen to mussels if they eat microplastics mistakenly?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
The first thing to solve microplastic pollution is not to use microplastics and some cosmetics industries agreed to stop using microbeads.
4. Please briefly present your own solutions to the plastic pollution problem in your daily life. (In about 40 words)
2 . Coral reefs are the rainforests of the ocean. They exist on vast scales and are equally important havens of biodiversity. Reefs occupy 0.1% of the oceans.
Corals are useful to people. Without the protection which reefs afford from crashing waves, low-lying islands such as the Maldives would have flooded long ago, and a billion people would lose food or income. However, reefs are under threat from rising sea temperatures. Heat causes the algae (海藻) with which corals are living together to generate toxins (毒素) that force those coral to leave.
Research groups around the world are coming up with plans of action to see if that will help, such as identifying naturally heat-resistant corals and cross-breeding such corals to create a new type.
Doubters doubt humanity will get its act together in time to make much difference.
| A．This can cause a coral’s death. |
| B．But there are grounds for optimism. |
| C．And they host a quarter of marine species. |
| D．Coral’s global ecosystem services are worth up to $10trn a year. |
| E．This mix of natural activity and human intervention is important. |
| F．This research can also be brought to bear on trying to save entire ecosystems. |
| G．However, the assisted evolution of corals does not meet with universal enthusiasm. |
3 . The coronavirus pandemic has created an environment for research on social connection. One of the most common areas of inquiry over the past couple of years was how our sudden mass shift to digital communication — away from face-to-face — affected overall social connectedness. Researchers studied nearly 3,000 adults during the pandemic’s early months and found that email, social media, online gaming, and texting were not fungible for in-person interactions. Voice and video calls, were somewhat better.
Social connectedness is a key to happiness. Lower it, and you will be worse off — and so will your loved ones, especially your kids. One 2014 survey revealed that 62 percent of U.S. children thought their parents were too distracted to listen to them. The No. 1 reason was parents’ phone use.
It is clear that scrolling or surfing will reduce social connection: You do them instead of interacting. Virtual communications such as texting are by design interactive and should theoretically be less harmful. However, text messages can’t convey emotion very well, because we can’t hear or see our conversational partners. These technologies are to in-person interactions what a black-and-white, pixelated (像素化的) version of the Mona Lisa is to the real thing; identifiable, but incapable of producing the same emotional effects.
With communications on line, we tend to hop from person to person and thus swap depth for breadth. However, research has shown that deeper conversations bring more well-being than short communications. Meanwhile, in a recent study, teens who texted more often than their peers tended to experience more depression, more anxiety and poorer relationships with their fathers.
It might seem strange that we would voluntarily adopt technologies that hurt our happiness. One of the explanations is convenience. Vegetating (无所事事) in front of a screen is simply easier than talking with a person, and virtual communications such as texting are faster and easier than a visit or a phone call. Think of these technologies as grab-and-go food at a convenience store: It’s not great, but it sure is easy — and after you eat enough microwave foods, you forget what the real thing tastes like.
In all, for most of us — especially people who grew up with it — the internet is an unquestioned part of the ecosystem of life. Quitting the virtual communications from our life is clearly not the answer. Since we’re not going back to life before this kind of technology, we can and should use it mindfully in service of love.
1. What does the underlined word “fungible” most probably mean?| A．Responsible. | B．Changeable. | C．Reliable. | D．Replaceable. |
| A．disapproving | B．doubtful | C．supportive | D．cautious |
| A．Virtual Communication Does Little Harm to People |
| B．Technology Can Make Your Relationships Shallower |
| C．Quitting Virtual Communication Is Just around the Corner |
| D．Technology Creates a Good Environment for Deeper Conversations |
4 . Ask a smart home device for the weather forecast and it takes several seconds for the device to respond. This latency (延时) occurs as connected devices don’t have enough memory or power to store and run the enormous machine-learning models needed for the device to understand what a user is asking of it. The model is stored in a data center that may be hundreds of miles away, where the answer is computed and sent to the device.
MIT researchers have created a new method for computing directly on these devices, which drastically reduces this latency. Their technique shifts the steps of running a machine-learning model to a central server where components of the model are encoded onto light waves. The waves are sent to a connected device using fiber optics (纤维光学), which enables tons of data to be sent lightning-fast through a network. The receiver then employs a simple optical device that rapidly performs computations using the parts of a model carried by those light waves.
This technique leads to more than a hundredfold improvement in energy efficiency when compared to other methods. It could also improve security, since a user’s data do not need to be transferred to a central location for computation. This method could enable a self-driving car to make decisions in real-time while using just a tiny percentage of the energy currently required by power-hungry computers. It could also allow a user to have a latency-free conversation with their smart home device, be used for live video processing, or even enable high-speed image classification on a spacecraft millions of miles from Earth.
“Every time you want to run a neural network, you have to run the program, and how fast you can run the program depends on how fast you can pipe the program in from memory. Our pipe is massive — it corresponds to sending a full feature-length movie over the internet every millisecond or so. That is how fast data comes into our system. And it can compute as fast as that,” says professor Dirk England.
The neural network architecture involves storing weights in a central server that is connected to a novel piece of hardware called a smart transceiver. This smart transceiver, a thumb-sized chip(芯片), can receive and send data. Moving forward, the researchers want to update the smart transceiver chip to achieve even better performance.
1. What’s the paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．The cause of the latency. |
| B．The effect of the latency. |
| C．The advanced smart device. |
| D．The models stored in a data center. |
| A．By improving the parts of a model. |
| B．By using optics to speed up computations. |
| C．By computing directly in remote data centers. |
| D．By inventing a new machine-learning model. |
| A．introduce the impact of the latency |
| B．explain how data is quickly computed in this system |
| C．demonstrate the technique’s energy saving and safety |
| D．highlight the user’s satisfaction with modern technology |
| A．The new technique will be further improved. |
| B．Optics needs to be developed and used urgently. |
| C．The new computing architecture is very perfect. |
| D．The technique was developed to send movies over the internet. |
5 . Enjoy the family-friendly adventure at Dino Park in Myrtle Beach! This exciting museum gives guests the chance to come face-to-face with life-sized dinos! These beasts have a vast history that will spark imagination and allow visitors of all ages to enjoy educational fun.
During your self-guided adventure through Dino Park, you will be treated to up-close views at dazzling animatronics(电子动画) of your favorite scaly dinosaurs. There are more than 20 life-sized dinosaurs to discover. Along the way, you will be able to learn about some awesome dino facts and get your fill of prehistoric fun!
Additionally, visitors will be able to enjoy CGI footage that gives a glimpse into the lives of the dinos. It is the perfect way to learn all about the dinosaurs through interesting facts and hands-on activities. Throughout the museum are various facts about the dinosaurs displayed on informative and colorful posters.
Dino Park activities
Dino Explore Pit: The kids will have a blast diving into the Dino Explore Pit! This ball pit features 100,000 balls offering tons of room to bounce around. It is a fun attraction for all ages to enjoy.
Dig a Dino Fossil: Become a real-life archaeologist as you put your digging skills to the test! Look out for some awesome fossils as you search for the next greatest dinosaur discovery.
Ride a Tyrannosaurus: This fun animatronic ride is perfect for kids who want to experience some thrilling fun! Climb aboard for an action-packed ride that you won’t soon forget.
Play Area: Kids will enjoy burning off some extra energy at the playground area. The playground features dino-themed puzzle floors, bright pictures on the walls, and play equipment featuring a slide and dinosaurs they can climb on.
So, whether you are a longtime dinosaur lover or want to bring the kids to see some moving dino park exhibits, you are sure to have a great time here!
1. At Dino Park, visitors ________.| A．can feel the joy of prehistoric times |
| B．will be taught animatronics face to face |
| C．will be able to find the perfect way to see CGI film |
| D．can participate in hands-on poster making activities |
| A．Dino Explore Pit. | B．Dig a Dino Fossil. |
| C．Ride a Tyrannosaurus. | D．Play Area. |
| A．To introduce a variety of life-sized dinosaurs. |
| B．To recommend a museum with educational fun. |
| C．To compare the different activities at the Dino Park. |
| D．To provide archaeologists with some clues about dinosaurs. |
Now, at Hailang River in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, dozens of Chinese merganser ducks are preparing to migrate south. Chinese merganser duck is an
Scientists in Australia have built a new battery using sodium-sulphur, a type of salt from sea water. The battery can store four times more energy than a standard lithium battery and would be cheap to make
Elle Gianelli wanted to put a smile on the faces of the seniors who
9 . One day, while homeless John was asking for money, he met a woman named Gladys Kamande. She had collapsed lungs that gave her shortness of breath and she
After knowing her situation, John’s eyes
A passerby named Njogu
Soon, John’s story spread across social media and generous strangers from all around the world began donating money in an effort to help. In fact, enough was raised to
But that’s not where the good news ends. John’s simple
John and Gladys were both able to get the help and the bond they formed that crucial day continues on. It just goes to show that a little
| A．randomly | B．seldom | C．occasionally | D．constantly |
| A．cut through | B．gone through | C．checked on | D．got away |
| A．welled | B．moved | C．wept | D．cried |
| A．touched | B．picked | C．reached | D．grabbed |
| A．talented | B．proud | C．special | D．right |
| A．witnessed | B．confirmed | C．monitored | D．sought |
| A．spot | B．moment | C．guidance | D．works |
| A．spare | B．adjust | C．cover | D．pack |
| A．strategy | B．habit | C．prediction | D．interaction |
| A．kindness | B．courage | C．determination | D．passion |
The term “moonlight clan” refers to low-income earners in China who spend all of their income meeting their basic needs. According to CCTV in 2021, 40 percent of singles in China’s first-tier cities belong to the “moonlight clan.” On the other hand, the Chinese household savings rate remains high. The average savings rate in China is over 45 percent. In other words, nearly half of a household’s income does not flow back into the economy but sits in a bank account (or somewhere else).
Some experts are concerned about this high rate because of limited capital flows and a less active currency. But considering current economic situation in China, the high savings rate is a good thing.
To cope with pressure, the Chinese government has introduced a series of policies to stimulate residents’ consumption, such as encouraging the purchase of vehicles in the countryside and providing consumption vouchers(消费券). High savings rates are undoubtedly an important support for these policies because without actual money in the bank, no matter how encouraging the policies are, the public just won’t shop.
Despite a still very active market, China needs more effective measures to persuade more people to start spending again and stimulate the economy. And once more people feel like spending freely again, China’s domestic market will surely grow stronger, promising sound economic growth in the long term.
1. According to the passage, what does the term “moonlight clan” refer to?2. Why are some experts worried about the high household savings rate?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
To cope with the current difficult economic situation, the Chinese government forced the people to consume.
4. Would you like to be a member of the “moonlight clan” in the future? Why or why not? (In about 40 words)
