1 . As a speaker of 10 languages I know the benefits of speaking more than one language. To start with, we need to dispel (消除) four common misconceptions about language learning.
You have to have a gift for learning languages.
No, you don’t.
Some immigrants to North America never learn to speak more than broken English. Yet we meet people in other countries who speak flawless English. With the Internet, language content is available to anyone with a computer.
To learn a language you need formal classroom instruction.
Classrooms may be economical to run and a great place to meet others. They have the weight of history and tradition behind them. Unfortunately, a classroom is an inefficient place to learn a language.
I would love to learn but I don't have the time.
How about the time you spend waiting in line or going for a walk? Why not use that time to listen to a language on your iPad? Once you get started, even 10 or 15 minutes a day will soon grow to 30 minutes a day, or one hour.
| A．That’s my experience. |
| B．Anyone who wants to, can learn. |
| C．Where you live is not a problem. |
| D．You need to speak in order to learn. |
| E．You have to live where the language is spoken. |
| F．The more students in the class, the more inefficient it is. |
| G．We simply have to change the way we go about teaching languages. |
2 . Combining knowledge of chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering, scientists from McGill University develop a biomaterial tough enough to repair the heart, muscles, and vocal cords, representing a major advance in medicine.
“People recovering from heart damage often face a long and tricky journey. Healing is challenging because of the constant movement tissues must withstand (承受) as the heart beats. The same is true for vocal cords. Until now there was no injectable (可注射的) material strong enough for the job," says Guangyu Bao, a PhD candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McGill University.
The team, led by Professor Luc Mongeau and Assistant Professor Jianyu Li, developed a new injectable hydrogel (水凝胶) for wound repair, which is a type of biomaterial that provides room for cells to live and grow. Once injected into the body, the biomaterial forms a stable structure allowing live cells to grow or pass through to repair the injured organs.
“The results are promising, and we hope that one day the new hydrogel will be used to restore the voice of people with damaged vocal cords," says Guangyu Bao.
The scientists tested the durability of their hydrogel in a machine they developed to copy the extreme biomechanics of human vocal cords. Vibrating (振动) at 120 times a second for over 6 million cycles, the new biomaterial remained undamaged while other standard hydrogels broken into pieces, unable to deal with the stress of the load.
“We were incredibly excited to see it worked perfectly in our test. Before our work, no injectable hydrogels possessed both high porosity and toughness at the same time. To solve this issue, we introduced a pore-forming polymer to our formula (配方),”says Guangyu Bao.
The innovation opens new ways of making progress for other applications like tissue engineering. The team is also looking to use the hydrogel technology to create lungs to test COVID-19 drugs.
1. Why did the researchers develop the new biomaterial?| A．To experience a journey. | B．To repair wound. |
| C．To represent an advance. | D．To replace organs. |
| A．It is heavier. | B．It is more breakable. |
| C．It is changeable. | D．It is more injectable. |
| A．Make artificial organs for drug test. |
| B．Try hard to increase its toughness. |
| C．Apply it to the cure of COVID-19. |
| D．Adjust their formula to improve it. |
| A．To show his respect to the researchers. |
| B．To stress the importance of innovation. |
| C．To promote the sales of a new hydrogel. |
| D．To introduce a newly- developed material. |
3 . American Express Gold: Best "non-travel" travel card
Why it's great in one sentence: The American Express Gold card earns tons of valuable Amex travel points on practically all the food-related purchases you're making even when you' re not traveling, and the credits available on the card nearly offset (抵消) its annual fee.
This card is right for: People who can use all of the card's various credits and who spend significant money at restaurants, on food delivery services or at U.S. supermarkets while they' re not on the road.
Highlights:
First, with the Amex Gold, you'll earn 4 points for every dollar you spend on restaurants worldwide, and on up to $25,000 in annual purchases at U.S. supermarkets (1 point per dollar afterwards). Most food delivery services count as “restaurants" on this card, so that means the vast majority of your food purchases will earn 4x points, regardless of how you're eating.
You'll also earn 3 points per dollar when you book airfare directly with an airline, so if you're looking to jump on any sales for flights later in the year, you can pay for them with the Amex Gold and earn extra points on those as well.
The points earned on this card are American Express Membership Rewards points, which are extremely useful. You can redeem (兑取现金) them directly for flights via Amex Travel at 1 cent each, but if you put in some extra effort and research, you can potentially get much more value from them by transferring them to any of Amex's 21 airline and hotel partners, which include Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Marriott and many more.
1. What can we know about the American Express Gold card?| A．It requires very little annual fee. |
| B．It has a link with food purchases. |
| C．It is targeted at delivery services. |
| D．It is right for restaurant managers. |
| A．100,000. | B．100,800. | C．103,200. | D．400,000. |
| A．Change them into money to buy food. |
| B．Transfer guests from airlines to hotels. |
| C．Purchase services in suggested airlines. |
| D．Make some extra effort and do research. |
At a table on a small terrace (露台) overlooking the Garonne River, I’ve just finished a classic southern French dish of shellfish. The restaurant seems to be one of the last on the block to appeal more
We gather at the edge of the miroir d’ eau (“water mirror”). It is a shallow pool the
After a couple of minutes, the water has flowed away,
| A．locals | B．guides | C．customers | D．neighbors |
| A．wait | B．search | C．stand | D．send |
| A．permits | B．nears | C．expands | D．advances |
| A．passengers | B．campaign | C．crowd | D．citizens |
| A．center | B．height | C．value | D．size |
| A．putting | B．filling | C．rising | D．falling |
| A．attracting | B．meaning | C．leaving | D．including |
| A．reflection | B．identity | C．gesture | D．phenomenon |
| A．incredibly | B．fortunately | C．apparently | D．precisely |
| A．turn down | B．turn up | C．switch on | D．switch off |
| A．frozen | B．identified | C．received | D．faced |
| A．Confused | B．Satisfied | C．Shocked | D．Disappointed |
| A．broad | B．narrow | C．neat | D．rocky |
| A．loaded | B．exposed | C．distributed | D．lined |
| A．highlights | B．ignores | C．dismisses | D．shifts |
5 . Artificial intelligence is one of the most concentrated industries in the world, which influences education, criminal justice, hiring and welfare, But so far the industry has escapedregulation (管理), despite affecting the lives of billions of people, even when its products are potentially harmful.
The COVID-19 pandemic has sped this up. Many Al companies are now promoting emotion recognition tools (ERTs) for monitoring remote workers. These systems map the “micro-expressions”in people’s faces from their video cameras. Then they predict internal emotional states drawn from a list of supposedly universal categories: happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, surprise and fear. However, there is scientific doubt whether emotional states are accurately detected at all. “It is not possible to confidently infer happiness from a smile, or sadness from a frown,” a 2019 review stated.
Resistance to this highly controversial (有争议的) technology is growing; the influential.
Brookings Institute suggested ERTs be banned completely from use by law. The European Union becomes the first to attempt a proposal to regulate AI, but the draft AI act has its problems. It would ban most “real-time” biometric ID (生物识别) systems — but fails to define what exactly real-time means.
Clearly, we need far stronger protections and controls that address such harmful effects on society. However, too many policymakers fall into the trap of “enchanted determinism”: the belief that AI systems are magical and superhuman — beyond what we can understand or regulate, yet decisive and reliable enough to make predictions about life-changing decisions. This effect drives a kind of techno-optimism that can directly endanger people’s lives. For example, a review in the British Medical Journal looked at 232 machine-learning algorithms (算法) for predicting outcomes for COVID-19 patients. It found that none of them were fit for clinical use. “I fear that they may have harmed patients,” said one of the authors.
Many countries have strict regulations and thorough testing when developing medicines and vaccines. The same should be true for AI systems, especially those having a direct impact on people’s lives.
1. What can be inferred from paragraph 2?| A．The COVTD-19 pandemic has sped up the regulation of AI. |
| B．The internal emotional states are only limited to six basic categories. |
| C．There is no reliable link between facial expressions and true feelings. |
| D．People’s micro-expressions accurately reveal their internal emotions. |
| A．To show EU’s resistance to AI technology. |
| B．To show the difficulty in regulating AI. |
| C．To prove AI technology should be banned. |
| D．To prove the act is completely ineffective. |
| A．It shakes people’s confidence in technology. |
| B．It enables people to correctly predict future. |
| C．It misleads policymakers in making decisions. |
| D．It helps predict outcomes for COVID-19 patients. |
| A．AI: Products in Demand |
| B．AI: Strict Rules in Place |
| C．AI: Tight Control in Need |
| D．AI: Technology in Danger |
6 . In a weightless, microgravity environment like space, how can someone with sight or mobility problems navigate in the space station? As scientists continue to push the boundaries of spaceflight and the possibility of human life on other planets, how can we build space infrastructure (基础设施) friendly to all humans？
The Mission AstroAccess project aims to answer these questions, starting with a historic parabolic (抛物线的) flight that took off from Long Bench on Oct. 17, 2021. A group of 12 disabled scientists, students, athletes and artists launched into a zero-gravity environment as a first step. To get a better idea of what is needed for more inclusive (包容的) space travel, AstroAccess plans to conduct a series of follow-on parabolic flights after the first launch. On these flights, a plane flies up to an altitude of around 32, 000 feet and then begins a descent at about 4 miles per second. This quick descent creates a microgravity, weightless effect lasting roughly 30 seconds. Afterwards, the plane climbs back up to a stable altitude, and repeats the process again.
The 12 AstroAccess Ambassadors selected for this first microgravity flight included four blind or low-vision Ambassadors; two deaf or hard-of-hearing Ambassadors；and six with mobility disabilities, all carrying out various tasks in the weightless environment. One of the challenges was seeing whether all members could perform basic safety and operational tasks. The crew also tested whether sound beacons (声信标) could be used for blind members to direst themselves, They are also investigating how American Sign Language will be impacted by microgravity.
“My whole career goal is to make the average person able to go to cuter space, where you don’t have to be a crazy trained astronaut with perfect physical abilities and health to visit cuter space,” said Brenda Williamson, head of the AstroAccess logistics committee. “I grew up on Star Trek, so the idea of exploration is really important.”
1. Why is the Mission AstroAccess project carried out？| A．To expose the disabled to zero gravity. |
| B．To train a group of disabled astronauts. |
| C．To involve all humans in spaceflight. |
| D．To build mobile space infrastructure. |
| A．Going down. | B．Going up. | C．Taking off. | D．Touching down. |
| A．They all have mobility problems. |
| B．They communicate by sign language. |
| C．They do scientific research in the lab. |
| D．They perform tasks in weightlessness. |
| A．Meaningful. | B．Successful. |
| C．Unrealistic. | D．Challenging. |
7 . As well as hosting New Zealand’s largest and most populous city, the Auckland region features many attractive, diverse places.
Central Auckland
Central Auckland is a hub of urban delights set against beautiful coastal scenery. You can take a trip up the Sky Tower, the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere. The adventurous can also try SkyJump-New Zealand’s highest base jump-or the incredible Sky Walk where you’ll walk around the outside of the Sky Tower for extraordinary sightseeing.
Rangitoto Island
Emerging unexpectedly from the sea some 600 years ago, Rangitoto, with its distinctive shape and superb location just off the coast, is the youngest and largest volcano in the Auckland volcanic field. The island is a favourite destination for hikers and day-trippers. Walk up to the top, and you can see the black lava caves on your way up and don’t forget to bring a torch to explore them with the kids.
Great Barrier Island
Great Barrier Island is a large island with a small population. For thousands of years, Bt has sheltered Auckland’s harbour from the continuous swells of the Pacific Ocean. The wilderness areas are home to several unique plant and bird species. Most amazingly, the community on the island is not using the public supplies of electricity, gas or water, but entirely relying on renewable solar power and collection of freshwater.
Waiheke Island
In landscape, lifestyle and experience, Waiheke is a world away. The three white sandy beaches are perfect for swimming, kayaking, or having a picnic. If you’re a walker, explore the island’s tracks which wind along cliff tops and into cool native forests. At the eastern end of the island, a walkway leads you to a system of World War Il gun emplacements (炮台) and underground tunnels.
1. Which place does an extreme sports lover probably prefer？| A．Central Auckland. | B．Rangitoto Island. |
| C．Great Barrier Island. | D．Waiheke Island. |
| A．Being located off the coast. | B．Being the least populated. |
| C．Being home to endangered species. | D．Being energy self-sufficient. |
| A．Black lava caves. | B．White sandy beaches. |
| C．Hiking tracks. | D．War-related sites. |
8 . When asked what his father did for a living, Mike explained to his kindergarten teacher that “he steals things, but it’s OK, because he gets paid to do it. ”
He isn’t wrong. His father is a hacker(黑客), who is proud of his job, just like doctors are proud of the work they do. Thanks to security researchers’ hacking practices, leaks in a new version of the most common Wi-Fi code standard(WPA3)were found before criminals could use them to break into home and business networks. In another case, criminals found an unknown weakness in Google’s Android operating systems before security researchers did, giving the bad guys full control of more than a dozen phone models.
However, finding Mike’s father’s personalized plates for his car with the word ‘HACKING’, an employee of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles quickly took them away, claiming that a license plate displaying “HACKING” publicized criminal activity. While this reaction really isn’t the fault of the well-intentioned employee, it’s a sign of how a deeply rooted misrepresentation of his profession has created a fixed wrong image. It seems that the way that hackers are described in Hollywood has contributed to the word ‘hacker’ paralleling ‘criminal’, where hackers are often referred to as figures in dark rooms engaged in illegal activity while tapping at keyboards.
But actually, hacking is just an activity. What separates any activity from a crime is, very often, permission. People are free to drive, but they do not have permission to drive 150 miles per hour, which is a criminal offense. Since a driver is just a driver, why must a hacker be a criminal? Someone who engages in the illegal use of hacking should not be called a ‘bad hacker’ but a ‘cybercriminal’. Contrary to popular belief, most hackers like Mike’s father undoubtedly play an important role in keeping companies and people safe.
1. What did Mike’s son think of Mike’s job?| A．Admirable. | B．Amazing. | C．Acceptable. | D．Annoying. |
| A．Its weakness. | B．Its importance. | C．Its variety | D．Its security. |
| A．To entertain the renders. | B．To question the employee’s claim. |
| C．To clarify the concept of hacking. | D．To trace the wrong image of hackers. |
| A．Hacking mostly counts. | B．Hacking is actually a crime. |
| C．Hacking is popular with people. | D．Hacking needs licenses. |
10 . Music influences your emotions. In turn, your emotions influence your behavior. One of these is your food intake.
Researchers at the University of Arkansas studied how music influences people when they eat in a restaurant. For the study, they used four types of music: jazz, classical, rock, and hip-hop. Their results showed that people had more appetite when they listened to jazz music while they ate.
However, another study published in Psychological Reports suggests it isn’t only increased appetite that causes people to eat more.
Besides, the study conducted by the Journal of the Academy suggests that the volume of music can also have an effect on how you eat. More specifically, the study states that, with low-volume music, you eat better because you make healthier choices. On the other hand, the study claims that music at high volume increases stimulation and stress.
For this reason, restaurants should consider the fact when thinking about the optimization of their products and services.
| A．Does music influence how you eat? |
| B．Being in a rush to eat also plays a part. |
| C．Does your emotion boost your appetite? |
| D．However, they had less appetite when listening to hip-hop. |
| E．In fact, many catering establishments have already taken action. |
| F．This could prove to be quite an interesting concept for restaurants. |
| G．This means you’re more likely to order comfort food or other unhealthy options. |
