1 . A microscope is a scientific instrument that reveals objects which are normally too small for the human eyes to see. Microscopes use several lenses(镜片) to provide a large image of a tiny object and they have been important in the study of biology.
In the late 1500s, two Dutch spectacle makers, Hans and Zaccharias Janssen, invented the first true microscope.
Anthony Leeuwenhoek(1632-1723) and Robert Hooke(1635-1703) were two early users of the microscope.
For two hundred years, there was little development of the microscope until new industrial techniques produced accurate and powerful lenses.
Nowadays, scientists still use microscopes that use light to see small objects such as cells and micro-organisms.
| A．They used several lenses together in a tube |
| B．Microscopes were expensive in their early days |
| C．Before this time, people made the lenses by hand |
| D．They made many important discoveries for mankind by using it |
| E．The word microscope comes from the New Latin word microscopium |
| F．But they also have so powerful microscopes that use a different technology |
| G．The discovery of glass over 2000 years ago led to early experiments with lenses |
2 . For years, doctors have given blood to patients who need it to survive. These transfusions usually include giving red blood cells to patients.
Blood transfusions aren’t as simple as taking blood from one person and giving it to someone else. There’re several different blood types that don’t all mix well. If someone gets a transfusion of the wrong kind of blood, their body will reject the blood cells, causing problems. For the first time ever, scientists from the University of Bristol, Britain, are carrying out a new trail: testing red blood cells grown in a laboratory on human volunteers. The scientists have used stem cells (干细胞) from a blood sample to grow billions of brand new red blood cells.
This could be even better than a regular blood transfusion. For one thing, they can be adjusted for people with different blood types. That’ll be extremely helpful for people with rare blood types. Also, a normal transfusion has red blood cells of all different ages, which means only a small part of them are brand new. The red blood cells grown in the lab are brand new, and this means they last longer and that patients will need fewer transfusions.
To test its safety, researchers have given a couple of teaspoons of the blood to two healthy people, both of whom seem to be doing just fine after the transfusions. In all, they’ll be tested on 10 people, and compared to normal transfusions. The new process doesn’t indicate that normal blood transfusions will disappear. Meanwhile, growing red blood cells in a lab is extremely expensive. And a lot of work and testing still need to be done. But if it’s successful, the process could make life much easier for patients who often need transfusions-even those with rare blood types.
1. What is special about the red blood cells in1 the experiment?| A．They’re given by those with rare blood types. |
| B．They’re collected from seriously ill patients. |
| C．They’re specifically for a single blood type. |
| D．They’ve never existed in any human bodies. |
| A．Blood reserves are often inadequate. |
| B．It often takes the patient a lot of time. |
| C．Most normal blood cells don’t live long. |
| D．It’s unfit for those with rare blood types. |
| A．It will have a long way to go. |
| B．It’ll replace normal transfusions. |
| C．It will separate rare blood types. |
| D．It’ll reduce blood research costs. |
| A．Blood Transfusions Get Easier |
| B．Rare Blood Types Are Not Rare |
| C．Rare Blood Cells Need Donating |
| D．Scientists Test Lab-created Blood |
3 . Bus stops across the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe are getting living roofs. They are called bee bus stops.
Bees and other pollinators (传粉者) like butterflies help grow plants, such as flowers, trees, and crops. When these insects visit flowers, they collect pollen — a yellow powder in the center of most flowers. Without bees or other insects bringing pollen from one flower to another, many plants couldn’t produce seeds or grow fruits or vegetables. But as humans have taken over more and more land for cities, roads, and farms, more natural areas have disappeared. The Wildlife Trusts, a group which works to protect wildlife in the UK, says that insect numbers there have dropped by 50% since 1970.
Then bee bus stops are born. The advertising company Clear Channel is working with the Wildlife Trusts and city governments to set up bee bus stops in cities across the UK. They are like ordinary bus shelters, but small gardens have been added to the roofs. The gardens are filled with flowers and plants chosen to attract bees and butterflies. Even though the gardens are small, together they add up to a much1 larger area.
Because the soil for the rooftop garden is heavy, especially when it rains, the bus shelters need to be sturdy. The rooftop gardens need to be cleaned about twice a year. But other than that, not much is needed to keep the gardens going. This summer was a little different, because of the extreme heat.
Clear Channel that already has similar bee bus stop programs in several countries in Europe is working with local governments to build at least 1,000 bee bus stops in the UK. Research shows that these bus stops, along with many other steps taken to support pollinators, are helping. After decades of dropping numbers, bee populations in Europe have become more stable over the last few years.
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about concerning pollinators?| A．Their ways of life. |
| B．Their importance. |
| C．Their daily behavior. |
| D．Their living environment. |
| A．Beautifying the crowded cities. |
| B．Offering insects islands of nature. |
| C．Introducing eco-friendly products. |
| D．Drawing attention to climate change. |
| A．Strong. |
| B．Large. |
| C．Clean. |
| D．Attractive. |
| A．Costly. |
| B．Controversial. |
| C．Demanding. |
| D．Successful. |
4 . Ouarzazate is a desert town at the foot of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, Africa, which attracts Hollywood and European film makers for its varied scenery and picture-perfect locations. Its Kasbah, with its red and brown mud houses and narrow streets, is one of these locations. It’s been chosen by many US and British movie makers as a location for big-budget films such as Gladiators and Kingdom of Heaven.
The cinema has brought a lot to Ouarzazate, whose people may work as technicians, sound engineers or decorators, but they are mainly given unimportant roles as extras. Mbarka, her husband, and their five children have all appeared in Western films as extras. Mbarka has been in so many Hollywood films over the past 20 years that she cannot remember most of them. She doesn’t even know the name of the last one she appeared in.
“I was in the film for 15 days. My son, Azzedine, knows its name,” said Mbarka. It’s unnecessary to remember that. After all, it’s not that she likes the industry, but that she makes a living from it.
Kingdom of Heaven, a $180 million US production, provided eight months of work for 2800 Ouarzazate people. “When the cinema comes here, people are happy, ” said Azzedine who has appeared in movies since he was seven. When there’s no movie in town, his mother sells sandwiches in the local market, but he doesn’t seek any other job or go to school to improve his skills, not wanting to miss a film opportunity though he’s not well paid. In fact, inexperienced Moroccan extras get as little as $15 per day. Still, the money isn’t bad considering the average salary in Ouarzazate is about $6 a day. Those with experience earn more; they get about $24 per day or as much as $60. Inexperienced European extras, on the other hand, get about $40 per day. This has led to complaints of discrimination by some Ouarzazate people.
1. What can be learnt about Mbarka?| A．She is a senior extra. | B．She loves making films. |
| C．She’s left show business. | D．She has been forgetful. |
| A．He learns hard to be a real actor. | B．He always goes out to work. |
| C．He deliberately remains jobless. | D．He helps his mother in a market. |
| A．Tolerant. | B．Favorable. | C．Unwilling. | D．Carefree. |
| A．To promote two big-budget films. | B．To introduce the extras’ situations. |
| C．To recommend an African Hollywood. | D．To call for an end to pay discrimination. |
5 . With globally famous literary festivals, specialty bookshops and a rich cultural well to draw from, Toronto is a literature lover’s dream.
Here are two festivals. When Word on the Street was first held in Toronto in 1990, it was designed to celebrate Canada’s rich literary culture. Now it’s become the largest festival in the country devoted to books and magazines. It’s free for attendees. Of course, you have to pay if you buy books here. Then, the contemporary-literature-focused Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) will come next month-each October. TIFA Kids takes place at the same time, making for a literary escape for the whole family.
How about specialty bookshops?
Flying Books is a bookstore, book publisher and writing school founded by book editor Martha Sharpe. You can find Sharpe’s selection of titles at The Good Neighbor Espresso Bar and the Gladstone House. Extend your literature experience from home with its virtual classes on criticism, journalism, memoir and more, taught by experienced Canadian authors.
Ben McNally Books (possibly the city’s most beautiful bookstore) is in the east of the Financial District, whose owner is regularly on-site to assist you with recommendations.
Type Books across from green Trinity Bellwoods Park which is the perfect spot to read under the trees is co-owned by a former literature professor and best for general interest.
West end’s Monkey’s Paw, where you can find rare books, and unique finds, specializes in secondhand and ancient books.
Queen Books in Leslieville has an excellent kids’ section where you can buy the latest children’s books.
1. What do we know about Word on the Street?| A．It has grown gradually. | B．It is held each October. |
| C．It charges participants. | D．It is of TIFA origin. |
| A．Become a book editor faster. | B．Build up a personal library. |
| C．Get the free books from authors. | D．Improve your literary skills online. |
| A．Queen Books. | B．Ben McNally Books. | C．Type Books. | D．Monkey’s Paw. |
6 . Each year on October 15, Global Handwashing Day is observed to strengthen the health awareness and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. And a hand—shaped robot called “Pepe”, which encourages kids to wash their hands, has helped pupils at a remote Indian primary school to develop habits of personal hygiene (卫生).
Pepe was fixed on the wall above a hand—washing station at Wayanad Government Primary School in Kerala, which has about 100 pupils aged 5 and 10. A small video screen behind the green plastic Pepe acted as a “mouth”, allowing researchers to tele—operate the robot to speak to the pupils and draw their attention to the poster outlining the steps of effective hand—washing. A set of moving “eyes” helped Pepe pay attention to the children’s actions.
The robot helped pupils wash their hands more effectively, increasing their rates of hand—washing by 40 percent. Pupils spent twice as long washing their hands after Pepe’s arrival. And more than 95% of the students could correctly determine when hand—washing with soap has to be done—before a meal and after a visit to the toilet.
Hand—washing is one of the most effective ways against the spread of diarrhea and respiratory infections. Dr. Amol Deshmukh, from the University of Glasgow’s School of Computing Science, led the project in partnership with colleagues from Amrita University. He said, “We were delighted by the success of Pepe’s visit to this primary school. The children were excited to interact with this relatively simple machine, which was clearly good for keeping their hands clean. Dr. Bhavani from Amrita University said,” AMMACHI (Amrita Multi Modal Application and Computer Human Interaction) Labs have taken multi plans to address common challenges facing low—income rural communities in India and worldwide using technology.”
1. Why was “Pepe” fixed at the Primary School?| A．To watch on pupil’ actions. | B．To wash children’s hands. |
| C．To freshen the environment. | D．To develop children’s health habits. |
| A．By playing with pupils. | B．By providing knowledge. |
| C．By offering pupils soap. | D．By washing pupils’ hands. |
| A．It was a failure. | B．It had no effect. |
| C．It was a success. | D．It was a waste of time. |
| A．deal with. | B．write a place on. | C．make a speech to. | D．speak to. |
7 . Liao Wentao, a pet undertaker, put the body of 2-year-old Garfield on a small bed surrounded by flowers. Then he let the cat’s owner say a last goodbye before cremation (火化). “We send off 400 to 500 pets each year, and there’s a great demand for pet funerals,” he told China News.
Keeping pets has become a trend for young people in China and people are more than willing to pay for whatever their pets need. From 2019 to 2021, China’s pet market grew by almost 18% and hit 348.8billion yuan in value in 2021, according to a report by Research Consulting Group.
As the pet economy develops, animal lovers’ various needs have boosted the emergence and development of related businesses such as bathing, pet food, pet beauty and healthcare.
In addition to basic services, pet owners are increasingly paying for many new services, such as training, pet funerals, insurance, photography and entertainment. The growing pet market has also given birth to a large number of new pet-related jobs, noted CCTV News.
Liu Wei, 33, is a famous pet detective in Shanghai. He and his team work on finding families’ lost pets. “We have successfully helped find more than 1,000 pets. Besides cats and dogs, there are other pets like birds, lizards and hamsters,” Liu said. “In many big cities, cats and dogs have become an important part of many families and are taken good care of. So what we look for are not just pets, but family members.”
Apart from pet undertakers and detectives, some people work as pet food testers, pet sitters and pet trainers. According to Tu Di, secretary—general of the Hunan Pet Industry Association, the booming pet market shows people’s improved living standards.
However, there are also problems with the industry, for example, the high fees of taking pets to the vet (兽医). Many pet owners have called for stricter pricing regulations for pet medical services, reported Global Times.
1. Why is Liao’s story mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To teach readers a lesson. |
| C．To sum up the main idea. | D．To involve readers in a story. |
| A．By introducing an argument. | B．By telling some true stories. |
| C．By giving numbers and examples. | D．By focusing on basic pet—related services. |
| A．Negative. | B．Positive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．The low quality of services. | B．The rapid growth of the industry. |
| C．The lack of related regulations. | D．The various needs of animal lovers. |
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9 . Searchers announced the recovery of one of the two black boxes, and human tissue (组织) debris from the crash site of China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 on Wednesday night, three days after the Boeing 737-800 nosedived from cruising altitude and crashed into a forested hillside.
One of the black boxes found on Wednesday has been identified as the cockpit voice recorder (驾驶舱话音记录器). The black box’s recorder looks badly damaged from the outside, but its storage unit looks relatively intact. It has been sent to a professional civil aviation agency in Beijing for decoding, and hopefully the data stored inside will provide evidence for the accident investigation and help produce a credible accident analysis report. The search teams are going all out to find the other black box with professional tools.
Officials also released more information concerning the crash. The weather on the route of MU5735 was suitable for flying and there was no hazardous weather when the plane crashed. The communication connection between the plane and the ground was normal from the plane’s departure until its sudden fall in altitude. The plane started service in June 2015 and it had been maintained under strict standards of technical plans and in normal conditions. Before departure, the aircraft met the requirements for flying. Pilots on board were all in good health and their flying certificates were within the validity period.
Beijing EAPs Consulting, a firm which provided a free psychological services hotline immediately after the crash, told Global Times that it has answered many phone calls asking for assistance. The phone calls are from families, friends and colleagues of people on board, who are in a difficult time. Some pilots and flight attendants called in because they feel unsafe and uncertain about their careers. There are also people who want to know how to comfort their acquaintances that had loved ones on the plane. Mental support and psychological services in the first 24 to 72 hours after a tragedy is crucial for people involved to recover from the tragedy and minimize the trauma. For more information related to the plane crash, please click here to follow the latest news.
1. The underlined word in paragraph 1 can be replaced by________.| A．separated | B．fell | C．recovered | D．drove |
| A．The search for the other black box is still underway. |
| B．Pilots on board were not in good condition before departure. |
| C．The plane crashed into the city center. |
| D．The black box found appears intact outside. |
| A．Psychological support is of little use after the tragedy. |
| B．A company sends volunteers to the crash site. |
| C．Many crew members will quit their jobs immediately. |
| D．A company offers free psychological support to people related. |
| A．an online newspaper |
| B．a search report |
| C．a research paper |
| D．a book on psychology |
10 . Snowfall is a rare treat in Mianyang, and therefore, many people have little direct experience with it. However, there are many strange facts about snow,
It is commonly known that the Inuit people of Northern Canada have 50 words for describing snow in its various states. However, what is not so commonly known is that the Scottish language has over 400 snow-related terms. Among the more interesting words are skelf, which means large snowflakes.
| A．One of the most interesting facts about snow is that it can actually warm you up |
| B．causing it to appear black, blue, and even orange |
| C．In addition, snow can have a direct effect on sound |
| D．It is most interesting that snow can burn you |
| E．which often causes snow blindness if you don’t protect well |
| F．Without a doubt, the most mind-blowing fact about snow is that it isn’t actually white |
| G．of which even Russians, Canadians, or Mongolians may not be aware |
