China launched a three-member crew to its orbiting space station on Thursday as part of its
The mission
The country is planning a mission
China conducted its first crewed space mission in 2003,
2 . New Space Missions in 2024
ESA’s Hera mission
The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to launch its Hera spacecraft in October on a mission to return to an asteroid (小行星) system visited by NASA’s DART spacecraft in 2022. Hera is designed to collect data on the targeted system, called Didymos. The spacecraft is expected to closely examine the physical properties of Didymos and measure detailed effects of DART’s crash.
Europa Clipper
NASA hopes to launch its Europa Clipper mission in October. This orbiter is designed to carry out close examinations of Jupiter’s moon Europa. Specifically, the mission will look for signs that the icy moon might hold the right conditions to support life. NASA says the orbiter will fly in orbit around Jupiter and perform repeated close flybys of the icy moon.
Boeing’s Starliner test flight
NASA and Boeing have said they plan to launch the first crewed test flight of the company’s Starliner spacecraft. NASA says it is targeting May 2024 to have Starliner ready for flight. The launch date is to be set later.
The spacecraft completed its first unscrewed flight test to the International Space Station (ISS) last May. But Boeing has experienced several technical difficulties with Starliner during the mission and has worked with NASA to fix the problems as it prepares for the planned crewed flight.
SpaceX Starship test
SpaceX, another NASA’s partner, has been successfully using its rockets and spacecraft to transport astronauts and materials to the ISS since 2020. But the company will be seeking a successful test flight in 2024 for its super-heavy Starship spacecraft.
SpaceX experienced two failed Starship tests in 2023 — one in April and the other in November — which resulted in explosions. The April explosion caused major damage to the launch structure in the state of Texas. SpaceX has said it has been examining the issues related to the explosions and plans to carry out another test of Starship as soon as possible. But it will have to wait until the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) completes its investigation of the launch site damage and approves a new test.
1. Which of the following plans to collect data about Didymos?| A．NASA. | B．FAA. | C．SpaceX. | D．ESA. |
| A．In April. | B．In May. | C．In October. | D．In November. |
| A．The date for its third test flight is unclear. |
| B．It has succeeded in sending astronauts to the ISS. |
| C．The reason for its first failure has been identified. |
| D．Its second test flight damaged the launch structure. |
Bonnie raised her granddaughter alone after the girl’s parents died. She hated her granddaughter’s art and wanted her to stop drawing. But everything changed when Mr. Henderson, a famous cartoonist, appeared at her doorstep.
One day, Bonnie called out to Amy as she took the chicken out. “Dinner is ready, honey! Come soon!” But Amy didn’t answer.
Bonnie finished setting the table and served them dinner, but she still didn’t hear a response from Amy. “Amy? Honey, your dinner is getting cold! Are you coming?” she asked her 10-year-old granddaughter again.
When Amy didn’t respond, Bonnie climbed the stairs to the girl’s room and pushed the door open. Amy sat at her desk, with her headphones on. At first, Bonnie thought Amy was studying, but then she noticed the drawing sheet on the table in front of Amy. Bonnie frowned (皱眉) in anger.
“Amy!” Bonnie screamed, and the girl turned around and removed her headphones.
“Granny? I… I was just…” Amy said.
Bonnie stormed up to Amy’s desk, and the little girl tried to cover the drawing, but it was too late.
“Did you finish your math homework, little girl? Mrs. Warren called me today. And she told me you’ve been ignoring her assignments!” Bonnie said angrily.
“I’ll finish the homework,” Amy said. “I was planning on doing it once I finished the sketch (素描) I was working on, Granny.”
“I’m tired of that hobby of yours, Amy! You’re no longer doing those drawings!” Bonnie went on. “Those things you draw are not going to help you in the future! You finish your dinner, and then you’ll be doing your homework. You’re not leaving the house to play with your friends until you finish your homework. Am I clear?” Bonnie said and stormed out of Amy’s room.
Minutes later, Amy walked into the kitchen and quietly sat at the table. They began eating dinner in silence. Bonnie was already in a terrible mood, so she didn’t ask about Amy’s day like she usually did. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Amy answered the door and was surprised to see Mr. Henderson.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Bonnie hesitated for a long time and decided to ask Mrs. Warren for advice.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A total of 99 traditional culture enthusiasts, mostly in their 20s and 30s,
Initiated by Shandong Radio and Television Station in
The show invited four famous
Meng Man, a professor at the Minzu University of China, quoted some of
5 . Earlier this week, a mother called Meems posted a video online asking users to help her with a task.
This was the first time that her daughter had
Last week, Dr Hanson, a conductor and assistant professor of music at Seattle Pacific University, invited Meems and her daughter to attend the National Association for Music Education’s Northwest Division Conference where he
Feeling
| A．Laughing at | B．Throwing away | C．Adapting to | D．Pointing to |
| A．wrote | B．heard | C．spread | D．found |
| A．recognize | B．teach | C．play | D．change |
| A．allowed | B．tried | C．suggested | D．imagined |
| A．curious | B．humble | C．honest | D．conservative |
| A．letter | B．report | C．video | D．advertisement |
| A．showed | B．received | C．recorded | D．estimated |
| A．highlight | B．noise | C．news | D．decision |
| A．behavior | B．homework | C．plan | D．composition |
| A．conducted | B．criticized | C．praised | D．interrupted |
| A．frightened | B．surprised | C．stressed | D．disappointed |
| A．forgot | B．thanked | C．refused | D．cheated |
| A．light | B．mind | C．life | D．market |
| A．accident | B．business | C．view | D．response |
| A．friendship | B．hope | C．music | D．knowledge |
6 . Conventional chemical fertilizers (化肥) aren’t among the most eco-friendly substances in the world. Not only do they pollute the environment if they get into waterways, but they also reduce nutrients in the soil over time. What’s more, they’re relatively expensive.
Seeking a greener and more sustainable alternative, some farmers have started applying nitrogen-fixing bacteria (固氮细菌) to their crops. These bacteria absorb nitrogen gas from the atmosphere and turn it into ammonia in the soil. That ammonia provides the plants with nutrients, restores poor soil, and boosts the plants’ natural defenses against pest insects.
One problem with the bacteria, however, is the fact that they are very sensitive to heat and humidity (湿度). This means they don’t stand up well to being shipped out to farms from a central source.
With these drawbacks in mind, Asst. Prof. Ariel Furst and her colleagues at MIT have created a method of coating the bacteria in tiny “metal-phenol network” (MPN) shells (外壳). The shells contained organic compounds called phenols, which are generally regarded as safe by the Food and Drug Administration.
This new coating technology could make such bacteria more widely available than ever before. On one hand, these coatings don’t block the bacteria’s growth or functions. On the other hand, they do provide protection from heat and humidity. The coated bacteria can even be freeze-dried, then shipped and applied to crops.
Furst’s team created 12 different MPNs which comprised metals such as iron, manganese, aluminum and zinc, all of which are considered safe for use as food additives. When these MPNs were used on nitrogen-fixing bacteria, all of them were found to protect the bacteria from temperatures of up to 50℃ and from relative humidity of up to 48%.
Furst is now commercializing the technology through a company she founded, called Seia Bio. “When we think about developing technology, we need to intentionally design it to be inexpensive and accessible, and that’s what this technology is.” she said.
1. Why are conventional chemical fertilizers mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To lead in the topic. | B．To show their advantages. |
| C．To provide an example. | D．To explain how to use them. |
| A．They prefer high temperatures. | B．They are insensitive to humidity. |
| C．They reduce nutrients in the soil. | D．They are environmentally friendly. |
| A．MPN shells. | B．The plants. |
| C．Chemical fertilizers. | D．The coated bacteria. |
| A．It may help farmers to ship crops. |
| B．It can be widely applied. |
| C．It might be accessible to more companies. |
| D．It will limit the growth of bacteria. |
7 . If your hearing begins to decline, your risk of falling may rise. Though it’s not exactly clear how hearing loss increases the risk, it’s known that falls are the top cause of death from injury among people 65 and older.
Now, new evidence shows that restoring hearing through the use of hearing aids may be protective, especially when people wear them consistently, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
“We found, quite significantly, that individuals that wore hearing aids compared to those that didn’t, did show a significantly lower prevalence (发生率),” explains Laura Campos, the study’s lead author. “They reported fewer falls, and their scores on a fall’s risk questionnaire showed they were at lower risk.”
As part of the study, Campos and her team surveyed about 300 people with hearing loss about their use of hearing aids and asked about their previous falls. The researchers also accounted for factors that could affect fall risk, such as the use of medication that can cause dizziness.
Overall, people who wore hearing aids had about a 50% reduced odds of experiencing a fall, compared to non-users. And the reduction was even greater among those who wore hearing aids at least four hours per day. “The effect size is pretty significant,” Campos says. “These consistent hearing aid users had even lower odds of falling.”
However, one challenge is that many people who get hearing aids don’t use them every day or stop using them altogether. “A lot of people don’t like them,” says Catherine Jewett, 67, who started wearing a hearing aid on one ear about four years ago. “For some people, the sound amplification (放大) can be hard to adjust to, and others are self-conscious of how they will look with hearing aids,” Jewett adds she feels safer when she wears her hearing aid since she can hear the sounds of a car, for instance, when she’s crossing a street.
1. How did the researchers conduct the study?| A．By making observations. | B．By carrying out experiments. |
| C．By asking questions. | D．By referring to previous studies. |
| A．Its purpose. | B．Its process. | C．Its finding. | D．Its subjects. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Unknown. |
| A．Selecting Proper Hearing Aids Does Matter |
| B．People With Hearing Loss Need Special Care |
| C．Restoring Hearing Is a Long and Complex Process |
| D．Wearing Hearing Aids May Cut the Risk of Deadly Falls |
8 . The National Heritage Responders is a volunteer network of around 100 experts in cultural heritage conservation from around Puerto Rico. They assist individuals and institutions in figuring out how to save important objects and buildings after disasters. Their crisis hotline has been busier than ever in recent years because of more frequent and severe weather brought on by climate change. In 2023, there have been around 70 calls so far, up from fewer than 10 in 2008, when the hotline first appeared.
Ann Frellsen, the Atlanta-based book and paper conservator, is a longtime heritage responder volunteer with more than three decades of experience in helping out cultural institutions after disasters. She was among those sent to Puerto Rico over several visits starting a couple of months after two hurricanes hit it in 2017.
After providing initial support via the phone, Frellsen and her team came in to help La Casa del Libro and other local institutions in crisis with equipment, supplies and advice. In fact, much of the advice the hotline provides is via phone or video-chat; volunteers are sent out into the field in certain cases, on an as-needed basis.
“There were no stoplights and signs on the highways because they’d all been blown away,” Frellsen said. She added that figuring out how to reach the more than 20 institutions that needed assistance in Puerto Rico was challenging—not to mention the on-the-job hazards.
When Frellsen isn’t heading into disaster zones to help save artifacts (文物) from fires, hurricanes and floods, she trains others in the heritage conservation field to do the same. Some of the participants may eventually take the test to become National Heritage Responders. But at this moment, they are deep in a hands-on training exercise, based on an imaginary situation cooked up by Frellsen and her co-trainers.
1. What can we say about Puerto Rico?| A．It calls on people to keep in contact. | B．Natural disasters are increasing there. |
| C．It works hard to build highways. | D．The weather is really nice there. |
| A．It teaches individuals how to protect themselves. |
| B．New volunteers can join it with no tests required. |
| C．Victims all over the world can contact it by hotline. |
| D．It sends experts to the disaster areas when necessary. |
| A．Dangers. | B．Skills. | C．Trainings. | D．Rights. |
| A．Taking various tests. | B．Entering a new disaster area. |
| C．Conducting a practical exercise. | D．Restoring priceless artifacts. |
Wearing Hanfu and sitting in front of a Chinese zither (筝), Peng Jingxuan, a young Chinese student, moves her fingers gently along the strings on a street in Paris, France.
Peng has shared more than 200
Chinese zither (筝), or guzheng, is an ancient musical instrument with 21-26 strings and a length of 1.63 meters. Peng
Considering her audience’s
10 . In 1972, Barbara Rieco penned a heartfelt children’s book that held her dream within its pages. Despite her best efforts, the manuscript (手稿) faced repeated rejection from publishers, leading her to eventually set aside her dream of becoming a published author.
Little did she know that, decades later, her grandson would turn the dream into reality. Chad Cooper, a production professional, decided to give his grandmother the ultimate Christmas gift — the publication of her treasured book. Visiting her in Baltimore for the holidays, he secretly took her original manuscript, along with the drawings for the book she had obtained from an artist years ago, and transformed them into a beautifully printed book.
On Christmas morning, as Barbara unwrapped the carefully crafted gift, she was overcome with emotion as she realized what the surprise was. The moment, captured and posted online by Chad, quickly resonated (产生共鸣) with viewers, and the video became a hit.
“This is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me in my entire life,” Barbara said in the video, who also gave her grandson a big hug, with tears.
Chad’s thoughtful gesture didn’t just end with the surprise; he also included a link to the book on Amazon, making it available to the public. The response was nothing short of magic — within days, Barbara’s once-forgotten book skyrocketed to the top of Amazon’s bestseller list, earning the coveted spot as a best seller.
Chad filmed the reaction to that news and shared more updates. Barbara said she had been reading every single comment online and wanted to respond to them all but there were thousands of them.
“I’ve bought Barbara Rieco’s book even though I’m 21 and don’t even have kids. I’ve read it and I really like it,” said one viewer.
“My children enjoy reading the book and they recommend me to read it as well,” another viewer commented.
Barbara Rieco’s book, now accepted by a new generation of readers, continues to spread joy and inspiration.
1. What did Chad Cooper do for his grandmother?| A．He had her book published. | B．He drew for her new book. |
| C．He arranged an artist to meet her. | D．He helped finish her manuscript. |
| A．Calm and proud. | B．Lucky but regretful. |
| C．Delighted but worried. | D．Excited and grateful. |
| A．Dangerous. | B．Desired. | C．Empty. | D．Forgotten. |
| A．To reveal Barbara’s gift for writing books. |
| B．To show the popularity of Barbara’s book. |
| C．To tell the influence of reading on the young. |
| D．To highlight the value of Chad’s Christmas gift. |
