1 . Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are compounds (化合物) that are set to solve some tough challenges: producing water in the desert, removing greenhouse gases from the air and storing dangerous gases more safely.
The desert in Arizona is really dry. Anyone stuck in it without water would die from dehydration (脱水) within three days unless he had one of Omar Yaghi's next-generation water harvesters, who is a chemist at University of California, Berkeley. Although daytime humidity (湿度) is only about 10 percent, this rises to 40 percent at night, which means there's enough water in the atmosphere to support life — if it can be transformed into the liquid form.
That's exactly what Yaghi's invention does. It's about the size of a small microwave oven, designed to suck water from the air at night and turn it into drinking water the next day using only the heat of the sun as its power source. What makes it work is a special material called a MOF, which at normal temperatures attracts water molecules (分子) onto the surface of its internal small holes. Warm it up and you can get the water, and each harvester produces one third of a cup of pure drinking water. “A device about the size of a washing machine could produce enough water for the basic needs of a household,” says Yaghi.
These crystalline (结晶的) groups of metals linked by organic molecules can be made into materials with an extremely high absorption ability, attracting specific molecules to their surfaces. In this way, MOFs cling to a variety of liquids and gases.
MOFs work thanks to their distinctive structures.
In fact, one MOF about the size of a sugar cube has so many small holes that they would cover an area as large as six football fields. MOFs are also extremely stable, light and have many different uses: Their molecular structures can be varied to attract specific molecules.
Adding a small amount of heat or pressure causes the MOF to give what it's holding. More than 70,000 different MOFs have been produced for various applications.
1. Why is the desert in Arizona mentioned in the second paragraph?| A．To introduce water harvesters. |
| B．To stress the importance of water. |
| C．To show the severity of its condition. |
| D．To express the urgent need for water there. |
| A．Solar energy. | B．Water molecules. |
| C．Metal-organic frameworks. | D．Internal small holes. |
| A．Refer to. | B．Tend to. | C．Hold on to. | D．Turn into. |
| A．The introduction to the MOF technology. |
| B．The future of the MOF technology. |
| C．The improvement to the MOF technology. |
| D．The functions of the MOF technology. |
1.讲座的内容；
2.学生的反响；
3.你的收获。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.题目已为你拟好。
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3 . Have you ever heard someone say, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, or give you advice about why it’s vital to start the day with a healthy breakfast?
Energy restoration
The word “breakfast” comes from “breaking the fast” — the idea of ending the period in which we didn’t eat during the night. The regeneration process that takes place while we sleep consumes some of our natural food reserves to heal our bodies.
Weight management
There are also many often-quoted studies which seem to link a state of obesity with skipping breakfast.
Better brain function
What’s most important is what we eat for breakfast. High-protein breakfasts have been found particularly effective in reducing food cravings and consumption later in the day. However, studies found that there is no agreement on what type of breakfast is healthier.
| A．Breakfast helps us refill the exhausted stores. |
| B．Weight-loss is likely to cause them health problems. |
| C．Breakfast has been found to affect more than just weight. |
| D．Breakfast types don’t matter as much as simply eating something. |
| E．Thus, it is suggested that a healthy breakfast can regulate and lose weight. |
| F．Many people are recommended to manage their weight by skipping meals. |
| G．It seems that this feast, for many of us, is necessary for our day to start well. |
①讲座的时间、地点；
②讲座的主要内容；
③其他注意事项。
注意：①词数80左右；
②可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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5 . The Amazon rainforest, is as undisturbed a place as most people can imagine, but even there, the effects of a changing climate are playing out. Now, research suggests that many of the region’s most sensitive bird species are starting to evolve in response to warming.
Birds are often considered sentinel（哨兵）species — meaning that they indicate the overall health of an ecosystem — so scientists are particularly interested in how they’re responding to climate change. In general, the news has not been good. For instance, a 2019 report by the National Audubon Society found that more than two-thirds of North America’s bird species will be in danger of extinction by 2100 if warming trends continue on their current course.
For the new study, researchers collected the biggest dataset so far on the Amazon’s resident birds, representing 77 non-migratory species and lasting the 40 years from 1979 to 2019. During the study period, the average temperature in the region rose, while the amount of rainfall declined, making for a hotter, dryer climate overall. According to the report on November 12 in the journal Science Advances, 36 species have lost substantial weight, as much as 2 percent of their body weight per decade since 1980. Meanwhile, all the species showed some decrease in average body mass, while a third grew longer wings.
Because of the study's long time series and large sample sizes, the authors were able to show the morphological（形态学的）effects of climate change on resident birds. However, the researchers themselves are unsure and wonder what advantage the wing length changes give the birds, but suppose smaller birds may have an easier time keeping cool. In general, smaller animals have a larger rate of surface area to body size, so they dissipate（散发）more heat faster than a bigger animal. Less available food, such as fruit or insects, in dryer weather might lead to smaller body size.
1. Why are scientists fond of doing research on birds?| A．They have small body sizes. |
| B．They are sensitive to hot weather. |
| C．They live in an undisturbed rainforest. |
| D．They are ecological balance indicators. |
| A．A third of species have been extinct for a decade. |
| B．36 species lost 2%of their body weight every year. |
| C．Two-thirds of species showed a considerable decrease in weight. |
| D．About 26 species responded to climate change with longer wings. |
| A．A news report | B．An autobiography |
| C．An academic article | D．A nature magazine |
| A．Why it is easier for smaller animals to keep cool. |
| B．What effects the wing length changes have on birds. |
| C．Why the Amazonian birds have lost substantial weight. |
| D．Whether bird species in North America will be extinct in 2100. |
6 . City Ticket for Weekend Travel on Metro-North
If you're travelling on Metro-North Railroad within New York City on weekends，you can get a CityTicket.
Price
CityTickets cost $4.50 and are good for one-way travel that begins and ends within New York City as long as riders continue their trips in the same direction. On Metro-North，you can use a CityTicket for trips on Hudson or Harlem line trains between the Bronx and Manhattan.
How to buy a City Ticket
You can buy a CityTicket at a ticket office，a ticket machine，or on the Etix app on your phone. Not all stations have ticket windows open on weekends，but all stations have ticket machines. You cannot buy a City Ticket when you go aboard a train.
·CityTickets are available starting at 12：01 am on Saturdays through 11：59 pm on Sundays.
·They must be used on the day of purchase（购买）.
·You have an extra period that allows you to travel until 4 am on Sunday or Monday morning for tickets purchased on Saturdays or Sundays，respectively（分别地）.
CityTicket limitations
You can't use a CityTicket：
·For travel to or from Belmont Park Station which is only open during special events，or the FarRockaway Station because these trips travel through Nassau County.
·On New Haven Line trains between Manhattan and Fordham Station.
·CityTicket can be used for direct travel only. You cannot change direction at junction points.
·$10 is required for per refund（退款）.
1. Which trip can the CityTicket be used for?| A．A one-way trip to Belmont Park Station. |
| B．A trip from the Far Rockaway Station. |
| C．A round trip within New York City. |
| D．A trip from the Bronx to Manhattan. |
| A．At a subway station. | B．From a ticket machine. |
| C．On a mobile phone app. | D．On the train you have taken. |
| A．At 2 am on Sunday. | B．All through the week. |
| C．Any time in the month. | D．At 10 am on Friday. |
1. 健康饮食的重要性；
2. 吃健康早餐，远离含脂肪、油、糖多的食物，多吃蔬菜水果；
3. 饮食均衡，有规律。
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Tom,
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Yours,
Li Hua
8 . As much as we like to think about nature embodying balance, the universe is actually filled with imbalance, too. Let’s take the supernova (超新星) for example. Two stars orbit each other. One of the stars is older, called a “white dwarf,” while the other star is a bit younger. Their mutual gravitational interaction (相互引力相互作用) pulls material off the younger star and dumps it onto the surface of the white dwarf. If enough material falls onto the dwarf, the stuff dumped on to the white dwarf begins to “burn”.
If the conditions are right, you always burn up the same amount of material that gets added. If the donor star is dumping too much material onto the dwarf, the burning runs out of control. It consumes not just the new material on the white dwarf’s surface but the whole of the dwarf star itself. So much energy is released so quickly that the star finds itself wildly out of balance. In an instant, it becomes a super-hot ball of unbalanced pressure, BOOM! A supernova is born.
Closer to home, a similar but different kind of process happens in volcanoes. Volcanoes are born when magma (熔岩) from deep in the Earth makes its way slowly to the surface through cracks in the planet’s crust (地壳). The heat from the magma builds up a massive pressure imbalance inside the mountain. It’s that imbalance that drives the BOOM, the volcanic eruption that rips a zillion tons of rocks away and sends ash 15 miles into the sky.
But here’s the thing: Supernova, volcanoes and all those other explosions in the universe are not just awesome sights. They are all essential players in cosmic (宇宙的) evolution. Supernova create a lot of the elements in your body that are essential to life. No supernova, no you. And volcanoes are essential to evolution of the planet, including the cycling of greenhouse gases like CO2 that make Earth habitable. No volcanoes, no you.
1. What does the underlined phrase “the donor star” refer to in paragraph 2?| A．The younger star. | B．The older star. |
| C．The supernova. | D．The white dwarf. |
| A．Hot magma. | B．Burning material. |
| C．Unbalanced pressure. | D．Gravitational interaction. |
| A．They evolve as players. | B．They create human bodies. |
| C．They are awesome sights. | D．They are necessary to life. |
| A．Profile. | B．Science. | C．Health. | D．Economy. |
9 . How to Develop a Lifelong Leaming Habit
To be perfectly honest, I used to think the only way to learn was in school, but I was not always a big fan of “conventional learning”, unless it was a course that really interested me. It was not until I expanded my own definition of learning that my lifelong learning journey began. My travelling experiences, the books I read, and even my own missteps — all became a means for learning.
Now I cannot learn enough or get my hands on enough information.
First of all, you can create an objective for your learning. For example, maybe your objective is to reduce your stress levels or find different ways to relax.
Another important way is to start small. If lifelong learning has not been your “thing”, trying to eat this learning elephant in one bite makes it more difficult to stick with.
| A．You lose interest in those things. |
| B．The most important thing is to make it fun. |
| C．Try to finish one thing in fewer steps. |
| D．Lifelong learning is like potato chips to me — I want more. |
| E．A better way is to break down your learning into bite-sized pieces. |
| F．After you have fixed that small habit into place, you can then add to it. |
| G．Having an objective not only makes learning beneficial but gives it a purpose. |
10 . The Travel Trends Report for 2024 suggests that engaging in “enrichment travel’ can profoundly impact personal growth and wellbeing by immersing oneself in newt cultures, environments and experiences. The following destinations allow you to explore transformative travel opportunities to rejuvenate body and soul.
Nambin Yoga in Chile
The fascinating Nambin Yoga retreat is in the mountain town of San Pedro de Atacama in Northeast Chile, where it invites guests to experience a seven-day journey including yoga sessions under the sparkling heavens, enlightening stargazing tours, and thoughtfully crafted vegetarian and vegan cuisine.
Rejuvenating in Nevada
Nevada has more hot springs than any other state in the country, with more’ than 300 occurring naturally. For an authentic wilderness experience, venture to Fish Lake Valley; where bathers can soak’ amidst breathtaking views of the mountains in Boundary Peak and enjoy some dark sky stargazing.
Rebooting at Miraval Arizona
Sat within the Sonoran Desert, Miraval offers immersive, technology-free retreats tailored to each guest’s individual needs for a true wellness journey. With innovative program and experts, Miraval empowers guests to design personalized schedule in line; with their wellness intentions, Visitors can gain hands-on experiences like beekeeping and farm work to foster a deeper connection with nature.
Yoga at Aspen Shakti
From June to September the seasoned team at Aspen Shakti hosts open-air Hatha yoga sessions on a picturesque deck, offering something for yoga lovers of all levels. Priced at approximately £. 15 per class, sessions are held from Monday to Friday at 10: 30am, with a portion of earnings dedicated to supporting the Caring for Community Fund mental health program.
1. What can visitors do in both Nambin Yoga in Chile and Rejuvenating in Nevada?| A．Do yoga. | B．Observe stars. |
| C．Taste cuisines. | D．Admire mountains. |
| A．Yoga at Aspen Shakti | B．Nambin Yoga in Chile |
| C．Rejuvenating in: Nevada | D．Rebooting at Miraval Arizona |
| A．It charges the least. | B．It works at weekends. |
| C．It supports charity! work. | D．It offers yoga sessions. |
