The 2.4-km-long Peljesac Bridge (佩列沙茨大桥), connecting Croatia’s mainland with the Peljesac Peninsula on the country’s southern Adriatic coast,
The bridge has
The construction team attached great importance
“I have worked on some other big projects in Europe, but none compare with the Peljesac Bridge project,” Selma Knudsen said,
2 . Good news came from Killington. In a challenging
The police department received a call at 2: 30 pm informing them of 7-9 lost individuals in the woods. However, as the officers,
Just when the rescuers thought their mission was
The rescuers went to great
| A．investigation | B．operation | C．examination | D．discussion |
| A．successfully | B．fortunately | C．apparently | D．accidentally |
| A．celebration | B．adventure | C．exchange | D．display |
| A．breaking up | B．putting up | C．teaming up | D．catching up |
| A．changed | B．evaluated | C．controlled | D．uncovered |
| A．Braving | B．Avoiding | C．Checking | D．Measuring |
| A．touched | B．skinned | C．hugged | D．bent |
| A．distant | B．common | C．clear | D．high |
| A．complete | B．significant | C．temporary | D．challenging |
| A．doubt | B．difficulty | C．hesitation | D．anxiety |
| A．visited | B．located | C．persuaded | D．encouraged |
| A．concluding | B．choosing | C．attending | D．recording |
| A．tasks | B．lengths | C．ranges | D．choices |
| A．beliefs | B．tests | C．efforts | D．dreams |
| A．deserved | B．received | C．expected | D．extended |
3 . Nearly a million bats are killed each year in the United States by crashing into working wind turbines (涡轮机), pushing the Department of Energy (DOE) to take some measures.
As the United States seeks to expand wind energy to reduce carbon emissions and minimize climate impacts, land-based wind turbines are emerging as a threat to several bat species. In 2022, wind power generated about 10 percent of U. S. energy and accounted for half of the electricity from renewables. DOE projects U. S. wind capacity to nearly triple by 2050, adding 260 gigawatts. Some of the increase will come from offshore wind farms, which are less harmful to bats. “The 880, 000 bats killed every year in the United States is a shockingly large number, ” said Winifred Frick, a chief scientist at Bat Conservation International.
The death count suggests many bat species could become endangered in the next few years. The value of bats goes beyond benefits that farmers get from pest control. They have a positive impact on pollinating (授粉) plants and increasing agricultural production. They could also help scientists understand aging and death better because bats have relatively longer life.
But the scientific community currently has no idea why wind turbines attract bats or how to keep bats away from the turbines whose blades reach 200 feet. DOE has given scientists millions of dollars, aiming to address the knowledge gap.
The fund is going to scientists who will test untried methods of bat protection. The goal, Frick said, is to “find solutions that can maximize energy production while minimizing the number of bats killed.”
Frick’s team has received $ 2. 5 million to test whether the bright lights fixed on turbines to warn aircraft pilots are attracting bats. If that is the case, wind farms can put up aircraft detection systems that will turn on flashing warning lights only when an airplane is nearby and reduce bat deaths. DOE’s funding will allow researchers at the nonprofit research institute to run tests in a wider range.
1. What can be inferred from the figures in paragraph 2?| A．Wind power is a top priority for DOE. |
| B．Wind turbines are becoming attractive to bats. |
| C．Land-based wind farms are more friendly to bats. |
| D．Bats are indirect victims of environmental awareness. |
| A．They provide insights into life science. | B．They are the primary killers of insects. |
| C．They are used for studies on energy generation. | D．They have a decisive effect on crop production. |
| A．Difference. | B．Conflict. | C．Ignorance. | D．Imbalance. |
| A．Supporting the setup of bright lights on turbines. |
| B．Promoting wide-ranging research on bat conservation. |
| C．Exploring ways to make energy production bat-friendly. |
| D．Seeking methods for improving wind energy production. |
4 . The Canadian town of Churchill is well-known for its arctic (北极的) wilderness. This town of extremes is home to about 900 year-round residents. However, 500, 000 tourists, more or less, flood here throughout the year.
In this setting, there’s a special find in a simple shipping container just outside the town. It’s a new project called Rocket Greens, led by the Churchill Northern Studies Centre(CNSC). Rocket Greens has successfully demonstrated the possibility of planting fresh, leafy produce regardless of seasons or weather conditions.
Erin Greene, a Churchill resident since 2015, became one of the first subscribers to Rocket Greens’s CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. “When I first moved here, it was very hard to get good-quality fruits and vegetables. We would never get fresh herbs and never see things like Swiss chard or kale,” recalls Greene, who says she now maintains a healthier diet and has become more self-sufficient as a result of the program.
In addition to Rocket Greens, CNSC has set up a seeding project for community garden support. This involves planting seedlings during the late fall and early spring that have been distributed to local community members free of charge in summer. Due to the short growing season and the challenging agricultural conditions, this seeding project offers a head start. “Community members can receive plants at no charge. It’s an educational tool to learn how to seed a field properly and how to grow your own food in your own home,” explains Dylan McCart, director of CNSC. This year’s seeding program will include a variety of crops such as peas, corn and peppers to make up for the traditional vegetables that are typically planted during Churchill summers.
“Considering the challenges of operating in a remote location like Churchill, we were one of the first ones to be able to do it, so it’s great that we were able to have that vision at that time. And it’s still successful today,” McCart says.
1. Why are so many people attracted to Churchill?| A．They want to live in the wilds. | B．They like to enjoy the unique scenery. |
| C．They can taste fresh produce from the locals. | D．They wish to become members of Rocket Greens. |
| A．To advertise the lifestyles of locals. | B．To show the diversity of local food. |
| C．To prove the difficulty of living there. | D．To illustrate the effects of the program. |
| A．It adds fuel to the fire. | B．It teaches a man to fish. |
| C．It pulls a rabbit out of the hat. | D．It kills the goose that lays the golden egg. |
| A．Curious. | B．Relieved. | C．Astonished. | D．Proud. |
George, owner of a popular restaurant, was known for his excellent food, which was much loved by his customers. Even though he was talented, successful, and wealthy, his employees feared him for his strictness.
Debbie, a new waitress at George’s restaurant, was hardworking, always serving customers with a smile. George was satisfied with her work. After about two months, George asked the night manager about Debbie, and the man had only good things to say about her. “She’s smart, quick, and efficient, and she deals with customers better than anyone! We are searching for an assistant manager, and she seems like a good candidate. She’s got great potential!”
However, one night, George caught Debbie in the act of stealing. Walking into the kitchen, he saw her putting a box carefully into her bag. “Debbie!” he called out. “Come to my office now!” He was seated behind his desk with a serious look as she entered. “Open your bag,” George ordered. Debbie’s face tuned red, and she opened her bag to take out two plastic boxes, shaking as she placed them on the desk. George opened them to find some leftover food and a piece of cake. “You’re fired,” he screamed out in anger. “Right now!”
“Please,” Debbie begged. “Please don’t! The food was just going to be thrown away…”
“It’s against the rules here,” George replied firmly.
“Please,” Debbie continued. “There’s something you don’t know…”
She said softly, “My son has leukemia (白血病) , and the treatments are more than I can afford. I’ve been taking the leftover food home to save money for his care.”
“Your son has leukemia…” George repeated. “Is this true?” Debbie showed him a photo of a young boy in a hospital bed, smiling bravely. George took a deep breath and looked at Debbie, and said more kindly, “The rules say you should be fired. I’ll talk it over with the night manager. Let’s discuss this tomorrow.”
1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式作答。
Debbie was very worried, but she had no choice.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________George said he made a decision after careful consideration.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. 介绍活动目的;
2. 说明参赛要求。
注意:
1. 写作词数应为80左右;
2. 请按如下格式作答。
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Everybody knows that eating carrots on
The study involved 34 adults and
8 . A dog named Kobe became a hero by finding a gas leak in his owner’s front yard. The dog’s action underlined the importance of paying attention to the
The story began when Kobe, owned by Chanell Bell, was
Following the
“If the gas had continued to leak into our homes,” said Bell, “something as
Workers discovered three main leaks in Bell’s neighborhood caused by aging pipes. It took the workers over three days to repair the leaks and
| A．attitude | B．health | C．behavior | D．performance |
| A．delayed | B．suggested | C．spotted | D．finished |
| A．regarding | B．studying | C．doubting | D．accepting |
| A．astonished | B．concerned | C．annoyed | D．determined |
| A．Declaring | B．Assuming | C．Recognizing | D．Remembering |
| A．trusted | B．respected | C．used | D．admired |
| A．description | B．association | C．instruction | D．identification |
| A．decorated | B．equipped | C．restored | D．protected |
| A．secretly | B．originally | C．freshly | D．carefully |
| A．plan | B．reaction | C．device | D．issue |
| A．simple | B．typical | C．sudden | D．dangerous |
| A．check on | B．set up | C．put aside | D．take over |
| A．served | B．defined | C．reminded | D．struck |
| A．place | B．trouble | C．extreme | D．change |
| A．company | B．diversity | C．achievement | D．gratitude |
9 . Traditional feedback (反馈), which often involves criticizing past actions and performance, can sometimes be discouraging. However, there’s a powerful alternative that has been gaining popularity — feedforward. Feedforward is about sharing constructive and forward-looking comments to help individuals and groups move forward together, building a positive path to collective progress.
Constructive feedback has long been a cornerstone of personal development. It helps individuals identify their weaknesses and areas for improvement, but it can sometimes feel like a constant spotlight on one’s shortcomings. Feedforward, on the other hand, shifts the focus from past missteps to future possibilities. It is a tool that fosters (培养) a culture of growth, emphasizing what can be done to enhance one’s performance and contribute to the overall betterment of a group or organization.
Instead of focusing on past mistakes or weaknesses, feedforward encourages people to recognize their strengths and potential, highlighting the possibilities of what they can achieve. This approach not only boosts confidence but also motivates individuals to struggle for excellence. In a world where negativity can often overshadow positivity, the power of feedforward lies in its ability to uplift and inspire people.
When applied in group settings, feedforward becomes a powerful tool for building unity and cooperation. Teams and organizations that welcome feedforward form an environment where team members feel valued and supported. By focusing on future improvement, teams can collectively work towards their goals, fostering innovation, and achieving better results.
Feedforward can also be valuable in building personal relationships. It can be used in families, friendships, and romantic partnerships to encourage personal growth and strengthen bonds. Feedforward instead of being judgemental increases confidence. By offering constructive and forward-looking comments, you can support your loved ones in their pursuit of happiness and self-improvement.
To successfully implement feedforward, it is essential to foster open and honest communication. It’s about providing advice that is specific, practical, and, most importantly, constructive. The emphasis should always be on helping individuals identify their potential and offering suggestions for growth.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By analyzing a scene. | B．By stating a phenomenon. |
| C．By providing an example. | D．By making a comparison. |
| A．Developing optimism. | B．Enhancing interaction. |
| C．Focusing on potential. | D．Learning from experience. |
| A．Ask for. | B．Pick up. | C．Carry out. | D．Reflect on. |
| A．Giving Effective Feedback | B．The Power of Feedforward |
| C．Feedback and Feedforward | D．Looking Forward, Not Backward |
10 . Flexible, wearable electronics are making their way into everyday use, and their full potential is still to be realized. Soon, this technology could be used for precision medical sensors attached to the skin, designed to perform health monitoring and disease detection. It would be like having a high-tech medical center at your service. Worn routinely, future wearable electronics could potentially detect possible emerging health problems — such as heart disease, cancer-even before obvious signs appear. The device could also do a personalized analysis of the tracked health data while minimizing the need for its wireless transmission (传输).
Such a skin-like device is being developed in a project. Leading the project is Sihong Wang, assistant professor at the University of Chicago. This device would need to collect and process a vast amount of data, well above what even the best smartwatches can do today, and it would have to deal with this data speedily with very low power consumption in a very tiny space. To address that need, the team called upon neuromorphic computing (神经形态计算). This AI technology copies operation of the brain by training on past data sets and learning from experience. Its advantages also include compatibility (兼容性) with stretchable material, lower energy consumption and faster speed than other types of AI.
The other major challenge the team faced was integrating the electronics into a skin-like stretchable material. The key material in any electronic device is a semiconductor. In current rigid electronics used in cell phones and computers, this is normally a solid silicon chip.
Stretchable electronics require that the semiconductor be a highly flexible material that is still able to conduct electricity. The team’s skin-like neuromorphic chip consists of a thin film of a plastic semiconductor combined with stretchable gold nanowire electrodes. Even when stretched to twice its normal size, their device functioned as planned without formation of any breaks.
“While still requiring further development on several fronts, our device could one day be a game changer in which everyone can get their health status in a much more effective and frequent way,” said Wang.
1. What can be inferred about skin-like electronics from paragraph 1?| A．More functional uses of the devices are on the way. |
| B．They offer medical advice through an online platform. |
| C．Accurate disease detection makes the devices popular. |
| D．They can transmit a great deal of patient data wirelessly. |
| A．Quicker processing and better adaptability. |
| B．Better learning ability and greater stability. |
| C．Wider use in life and larger storage capacity. |
| D．Lower power consumption and easier operation. |
| A．The excellent flexibility of the stretchable material. |
| B．The unique structure of the skin-like neuromorphic chip. |
| C．The application of electronics in cell phones and computers. |
| D．The process of replacing silicon chips with neuromorphic ones. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Challenging. |
| C．Promising. | D．Profitable. |
