1 . When most people think of drones (无人机), they think of technology and fun. Safe to say, few people would think about farming. However, a group of students from York College of Pennsylvania have been building a drone that will not only help local farmers but the environment, as well.
Samantha Gotwalt and Blayde Reich, two senior Mechanical Engineering majors at York College in the group, both found the work to be quite fascinating. According to Samantha, the idea came from a York College professor, who has worked with drones, and wanted to get students involved with a project beneficial to the community. “We really want to help farming and agriculture. It’s super-important to America and our economy,” Blayde says. “We want to help the smaller farmers, and one of the perks is not having to spend their money on fertilizer and pesticides (杀虫剂).”
The idea is to design and build a drone that will take video imagery of the fields to determine what is needed to produce the best crop, while saving money and sparing the environment by reducing pollutants in the water runoff. Ideally, that data gained will help the farmers better determine what chemicals they need — and what they don’t.
However, finding the right equipment for the project was a challenge, starting with what drone the team would design for this particular usage. Samantha says she researched durability and control of drones to help make the proper determination.
“We are flying over the field and we want to have enough efficiency and go relatively slow enough that our pictures turn out well - and fly low enough that it is not using up all of its power,” she says. “The fields are a couple hundred acres(英亩), so you need your drone to be able to fly the length of that field.”
Blayde says the team continues to learn a great deal of information that will help the farmers and the environment.
1. What does the underlined word “perks” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Challenges. | B．Features. | C．Benefits. | D．Solutions. |
| A．Spreading proper quantities of pesticides. |
| B．Helping to determine the chemicals needed. |
| C．Assisting to monitor the state of crops. |
| D．Measuring the areas of the fields. |
| A．Its camera capacity. | B．Its data collection ability. |
| C．Its durability and control. | D．Its material and efficiency. |
| A．Disciplined and realistic. | B．Experienced and reliable. |
| C．Humble and reserved. | D．Responsible and creative. |
1.时间；
2.介绍中国春节的风俗习惯，加深他对中国传统文化的了解；
3.期待和他一起共度佳节。
Dear Tom,
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Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
3 . Spring Festival Gala Unveils Mascot Inspiration
Yu Lei, the chief
Yu added that the mascot’s design was created for multiple reasons, various from the big data investigation to
4 . Serendipity (缘分) can be a profound source of those moments that make life meaningful and turn the unexpected from a potential threat into a source of opportunity.
Set serendipity bridges.
Whenever you communicate with someone, cast a few bridges: concrete examples of your current interests, hobbies and vocation. This maximizes the chance that you and the other person “coincidentally” find out common ground and shared passions, triggering serendipity.
Imagine meeting a new person at a dinner party. Many of us might ask the unpleasant “So what do you do?” This tends to put the other person into a box that is hard to get out of. Positioning ourselves for smart luck means asking more open-ended questions, such as “What did you find most interesting about such-and-such?” or “What do you enjoy doing?” Such questions open up conversations that might lead to intriguing outcomes.
Reflect on incidences when serendipity could have happened, but did not.
Perhaps you spilled coffee over someone, sensed some sort of connection, but did not start a conversation? Perhaps you were sitting in a meeting, had an unexpected idea, but did not raise it?
Write down three things you would do if you had no limits and you couldn’t fail.
| A．What are you afraid of? |
| B．Change the way you ask questions. |
| C．What was it that held you back? |
| D．Avoid the unpleasant questions. |
| E．So, what new skills do you need to seize it? |
| F．It also helps you identify what brings you together and what sets you apart. |
| G．Write down the reasons why you think you cannot vary the situation. |
5 . A recent study suggests that logging (cutting down trees to use the wood) does not necessarily mean that things can’t live in the left-over forest any more. In fact, chopping down trees sometimes attracts more plants and wildlife than in forests where the trees have been left untouched.
Experts believe that about 70% of the world’s forests have had at least some logging. Until recently it wasn’t clear exactly what impact this had on other wildlife in forests. However, new research carried out on the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia, shows that logging can encourage healthy animal and plant life.
Scientists from Oxford University used tens of thousands of camera traps (cameras connected to sensors that only photograph when movement is detected) to find out how many animals were in forests that had been logged and how many were in forests where the trees just died naturally. The scientists worked out that the total weight of birds in logged forests was more than double, and for mammals it was more than three times as much. They also found that animals in logged forests get two and a half times as much energy from food than in untouched forests. The scientists think there is more food available in logged forests because more light reaches the forest floor when some of the canopy (dense tree tops) has been cleared away. This extra light helps smaller plants grow bigger, giving more food to wildlife like insects, deer and wild pigs. Yadvinder Malhi, an ecologist, said, “The whole forest gets more edible and more tasty.”
The study makes it clear that although more animals and plants might be able to live there, logging even part of a forest is still bad. That’s because untouched forests, with more and bigger trees, absorb lots of carbon dioxide, a gas that causes climate change. However, the study is important because conservationists didn’t think logged forests were important to protect. The new research shows that even damaged forests can have lots of wildlife that needs protecting.
1. What does the recent study find?| A．More plants and wildlife will live in forests where humans don’t cut down the trees. |
| B．Cutting down the trees in a forest will attract more plants and animals to live there. |
| C．70% of the world’s forests have had at least some logging. |
| D．Plants and wildlife can’t live in the left-over forest any more. |
| A．Monitoring the changes in the number of animals. |
| B．Detecting how many trees in the forests died naturally. |
| C．Finding out how many animals were in the forests. |
| D．Connecting the sensors to detect any movement. |
| A．Ambiguous. | B．Objective. | C．Doubtful. | D．Favorable. |
| A．Conservationists are supposed to protect the wildlife in the logged forest. |
| B．Logging forests is the direct reason that causes climate change. |
| C．Conservationists think untouched forests are more important than the logged ones. |
| D．Compared with untouched forests, Logged forests can’t absorb any carbon dioxide. |
6 . A new “museum of mathematics” will open in Paris as part of a drive to inspire French schoolchildren, who rank among the worst in the developed world.
The Maison Poincaré, named after Henri Poincaré, the late 19th century polymath, will celebrate mathematicians who put France at the forefront of the subject from the middle ages to the 21st century.
The museum, set to open this year, is attempting to spark a renaissance in the face of an educational failure that is viewed as a national emergency.
French pupils ranked bottom in the subject in the EU, while only those from Chile fared worse than the French among the 38 countries of the OECD, according to a Trends in International Mathematics and Science study.
Their poor grasp of the subject was further highlighted by the fact that half of French 12-year-olds thought 0.4 was the same as a quarter, Charles Torossian, aninspector-general of the national education system, said.
In addition, the children of Ukrainian refugees were, despite the language barrier, at least a year ahead of their French classmates in calculating ability.
The museum was the innovation of Cédric Villani, former director of the Poincaré maths institute and former MP for Macron’s Renaissance party.
Sylvie Benzoni, his successor as head of the institute, said the museum aimed to show that maths was open to everyone and no longer the property of “a mainly male scholar”.
Last summer President Macron recovered maths as an option in the general examination, two years after Jean-Michel Blanquer, his education minister, had removed it. He fired Blanquer and last month made weekly maths classes necessary for all grades from September.
1. The new museum will open in Paris ______.| A．to exhibit the artistic achievements of renaissance in Europe. |
| B．to correct the educational failure which is regarded as a national emergency. |
| C．to encourage the children in France to learn mathematics better. |
| D．to remind the French schoolchildren that they rank among the worst in the developed world. |
| A．subjects. | B．pupils. | C．countries. | D．museums. |
| A．He made mathematics the property of “a mainly male scholar”. |
| B．He cut maths down from the general examination. |
| C．He taught the French 12-year-olds that 0.4 was the same as a quarter. |
| D．He didn’t think weekly maths classes necessary for all grades. |
| A．France Will Not Bear Her Poor Maths Any More. |
| B．Children Around The World Do A Bad Job In Maths. |
| C．French Schoolchildren Rank The Worst In The Developed World. |
| D．A New “Museum of Mathematics” Will Open In Paris. |
7 . Daniel Barenboim, the well-known pianist and conductor, is stepping down as general musical director of the Berlin State Opera after more than 30 years.
Barenboim, 80, announced in October that he was “taking a step back” from performing, having had surgery on his back for a “serious neurological condition” last February.
He made a return for Berlin’s traditional new year performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No 9 on December 31 and January 1, which he conducted while seated, earning waves of applause. It was not immediately clear who would succeed him in one of the most significant jobs in music.
“Unfortunately, my health has deteriorated over the past year,” he said in a statement, asking to be released from his position at the end of this month. “I can no longer deliver the performance that is rightly demanded of a general music director.”
Barenboim, who was appointed to the post in 1992, said he was proud to have been elected as chief conductor for life by the resident orchestra of the Berlin State Opera.
He was born in Argentina to Jewish parents and began his international career as a pianist at the age of ten. He married Jacqueline du Pré, the British cellist, in 1967. In 1999 he jointly founded the West-Eastern Divan orchestra, bringing together young musicians from Israel, the Palestinian territories and Arab states.
Matthias Schulz, the state opera director, said the house was “heavily indebted” to Barenboim. “For more than 30 years he has lent his inexhaustible strength as an artistic figure with worldwide charm to this house and its orchestra,” he said. “One can only imagine how difficult this step must have been for him.”
In October Richard Morrison, opera critic for The Times, praised Barenboim as “a pianist who for half a century was peerless in Beethoven and Schubert” and as a conductor “who can shape the giant masterpieces of Wagner, Bruckner and Elgar as few others know how”.
1. What can we learn from the first three paragraphs?| A．Daniel Barenboim once had to stop his performance. |
| B．Daniel Barenboim always conducted the symphony orchestra while seated. |
| C．Some of the audience actually weren’t satisfied with Daniel Barenboim’s performance |
| D．Daniel Barenboim has already found an outstanding conductor to replace him. |
| A．Become worse. | B．Recovered completely. |
| C．Improved a lot. | D．Functioned well. |
a. He married Jacqueline du Pré, the British cellist.
b. He jointly founded the West-Eastern Divan orchestra.
c. He was appointed to be the chief conductor.
d. He began his international career as a pianist.
e. He had surgery on his back for a “serious neurological condition”.
| A．adbce | B．dabce | C．adcbe | D．dacbe |
| A．He lacks experience as a conductor. |
| B．He is as excellent as Beethoven and Schubert. |
| C．He composed the giant masterpieces of Wagner, Bruckner and Elgar. |
| D．He is the top pianist and conductor in his times. |
8 . Norway: Wonders of the Arctic
Go on an expedition to explore Norway’s beautiful fjords(峡湾), view the Northern Lights, watch whales and polar bears, and discover the frozen Svalbard archipelago by land, sea and air.
What’s Included
• Entry to all sites and attractions.
• English-speaking tour leader throughout.
• All accommodation, internal transport, cruises and husky sleds.
• Breakfast , lunches and evening meals.
• Domestic flights between Tromso, Longyearbyen and Oslo.
What’s Not Included
• Travel insurance.
• International flights.
Accommodation
Radisson Blu Hotel, Tromso
A pleasant and modern four-star hotel in the city centre that overlooks the harbour and fjord. It’s just a short walk from the city’s cultural, architectural and historic sites. Around the hotel, there are stunning views over the city and its surrounding hills.
Radisson Blu Polar Hotel, Longyearbyen
Claiming to be the world’s northernmost full-service hotel, this recently renewed four-star hotel has great views across the Advent fjord and Hiorthfjellet mountain. It’s a modern hotel that is decorated with pictures of the region’s polar history. Some of the rooms were originally built and located for the 1994 Winter Olympics. With an open fire, jacuzzi, hot tub and fashionable restaurant, there are many ways to relax here.
Contact Us
If you have an inquiry, idea or just want to chat, email us at tours@newscientist.com or call 441224980439 (Global), 442045 712 435 (UK).
1. What will not this travel provide for tourists?| A．English-speaking tour leader. | B．Internal transport. |
| C．Daily meals. | D．Domestic flights. |
| A．The hotel claims to be the world’s northernmost full-service hotel. |
| B．It’s an ancient five-star hotel in the city centre. |
| C．Tourists can enjoy great views of the harbour and fjord. |
| D．It’s a long distance from the city’s centre. |
| A．Education. | B．Science. | C．Fashion. | D．Travel. |
9 . One morning a few years ago, at home in the Mänoa Valley on Oahu, scientist Kimberly Carlson looked out of the window and saw a rainbow so bright and clear that it took her breath away. That wasn’t a shocker: Hawaii is possibly the best place in the world to see rainbows today, and Manoa has particularly ideal conditions for clear bows: frequent rain showers and sunlight. But Carlson, now an environmental science professor now at New York University, realized she didn’t know the answer to a simple question: Would climate change affect Hawaii’s and the whole planet’s breathtaking rainbows? She shared the question with some climate scientist colleagues, and it interested them so much that they enlisted a class full of students to investigate.
Rainbows are not special because their basic ingredients are common and governed by relatively straightforward physics. “The basic recipe for seeing any part of the natural rainbow,” says Lee, “is sunlit rain.”
In November, they published their findings. “Climate change is affecting rainbows—now we know that’s true,” says Carlson, the lead author on the paper, which used computer models to simulate future rainbow-ready conditions. As major weather patterns change because of climate change, many parts of the world-particularly places nearer to the poles, like Alaska or Siberia, will get more rain—potentially adding dozens more rainbow-rich days by the end of the century.
The changes follow broader patterns of climate change; in fact, the shifts highlight some of the biggest risks and dangers. The increases in the Arctic, for example, are likely to play out because water that used to fall from the sky as snow will more often drop down as rain in a hotter future. And today’s rainbow-rich Amazon is predicted to suffer more frequently drought—both because the forest, which currently creates it sown rain, will lose that superpower as it shrinks, and because planet-wide climate change is shifting and changing the major weather patterns that cause tropical rainfall.
1. Why does the author mention Carlson’s experience in paragraph 1?| A．To explain a rule. | B．To introduce a topic. |
| C．To present a fact. | D．To make a prediction. |
| A．Frequent sunlight. | B．Frequent rain showers. |
| C．The sunlit rain. | D．The geographic position. |
| A．Climate change causes more rainbows. |
| B．More rainbows worsen the climate condition. |
| C．There will be less rainbows in Siberia. |
| D．The temperature will be lower in Alaska. |
| A．There may be more snow than rain in the Arctic. |
| B．Rainbows will be on the increase always. |
| C．Increase of rainbows is a natural phenomenon. |
| D．Amazon may suffer from drought more frequently. |
Over 100 million bicycles
A person who walks into a bicycle store today is faced with many
And some modern bicycle designs differ so
