1 . When this year’s all-woman team arrived on Antarctica’s Goudier Island to run the world’s most remote post office, it was shovels they needed rather than stamps.
They’d traveled some 8,000 miles from the UK, by plane and boat, and Britain’s Royal Navy had helped them dig out their new home at the Port Lockroy scientific base, which was buried up to four meters deep under several tonnes of December snow.
It wasn’t just the frozen wastes that first struck postmaster Clare Ballantyne, who at 23 years old was the baby of the four-woman group. It was that “there’s penguins everywhere.”
More than a thousand Gentoo penguins live on this tiny island on the western side of the Antarctic peninsula (半岛), around the size of a soccer field. Since 1944, when the UK’s first permanent Antarctic base was established here, it’s also become a shelter for explorers, scientists and — in recent years — tourists.
Each year, a team is selected to run and maintain the site from November to March, or summertime in the southern hemisphere. Around 4,000 people applied for this job, but just four made the cut: Ballantyne, base leader Lucy Bruzzone, wildlife monitor Mairi Hilton and shop manager Natalie Corbett.
The job also involves counting penguins: The scientific data they gather on the Gentoos’ breeding patterns is part of a decades-long study of the colony.
When it comes to choosing candidates, “there is no recipe we can follow,” says Ballantyne. “It’s about your ability to work together as a team. Cheeriness goes a long way, being able to see the light in life and resolve problems quickly.”
Ballantyne notes that there has been “a bit of a decline in recent years in the breeding success” of the Gentoo penguins, but says “the causal connect ion is the tricky bit.” While climate change is probably “the biggest driver,” they also need to carefully examine if there’s a “human element” as well. In her opinion, Antarctica tourism has boomed significantly in the past couple of decades, but there aren’t legally enforced limits on tourism, which hopes to be a regulated industry.
1. What is the task of the all-woman team?| A．Making out all the living habits of penguins. | B．Serving as postmasters and environmentalists. |
| C．Designing stamps linked to the Antarctic peninsula. | D．Managing a post office including counting penguins. |
| A．It’s situated on the eastern side of the Antarctic peninsula. |
| B．Some scientists use it as a soccer field in their spare time. |
| C．It’s fit for man to study the Antarctic and live temporarily. |
| D．The number of the penguins on it has risen sharply. |
| A．Being optimistic, competent and cooperative. | B．Being sensitive, courageous and determined. |
| C．Being hardworking, modest and empathetic. | D．Being independent, elegant and generous. |
| A．Climate change leads to the decline of penguins. | B．Polar tourism desires for improved management. |
| C．Humans and penguins live in peace in the Antarctic. | D．Antarctica tourism has influenced climate change. |
2 . Robots have learned to drive on Mars, carry out brain surgery and defeat grandmaster chess players. But when it comes to baking, making tasty desserts is far from a piece of cake. But after multiple failed attempts, US researchers have successfully 3D printed a cherry cheesecake.
The sorry-looking flan resembles a slice of cottage pie, topped with blancmange. Nevertheless, scientists are hopeful that once mastered, 3D printing could replace conventional cooking, allowing food to be tailored to nutritional needs of children, athletes or those on dietary restrictions.
“We have an enormous problem with the low-nutrient value of processed foods,” said Professor Christen Cooper of Pace University Nutrition and Dietetics. “3D food printing will still turn out processed foods, but perhaps the silver lining will be, for some people, better control and tailoring of personalised nutrition. It may also be useful in making food more appealing to those with swallowing disorders by mimicking the shapes of real foods with the mashed texture foods that these patients require.”
In the latest experiment, researchers tried various cheesecake designs, consisting of seven key ingredients: a biscuit base, peanut butter, Nutella, banana puree, strawberry jam, cherry drizzle, and frosting. In early attempts, which involved simply layering up the ingredients, the team found that the cake quickly disintegrated, with jam and peanut butter leaking out onto the work bench.
They discovered through trial and error that a more architectural solution was needed. Walls of biscuit base were required throughout the cake to hold the softer ingredients inside, while internal triangular biscuit supports were necessary to keep the cake upright.
“The study highlights that printed food dishes will likely require novel ingredient compositions and structures, due to the different way by which the food is assembled,” said Cooper. “Much work is still needed to collect data, model, and optimize these processes.”
But the team said that laser cooking and 3D printing could allow chefs to create entirely new food experiences, with flavors and textures placed with millimetre precision. And, because the system uses targeted light for very localized cooking, it could save energy unlike ovens or hobs which heat a large area.
1. Why are robots mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To compare to find the advantages of robots. | B．To show how to use robots to make cakes. |
| C．To introduce the topic of 3D printed food. | D．To prove 3D printers are better than robots. |
| A．It is designed to replace all processed foods. | B．It may help some people with special needs. |
| C．It looks more attractive than ordinary ones. | D．It is appealing to children having sweet teeth. |
| A．Present 3D printed food are not perfect now. | B．3D printing technology needs improving. |
| C．Printed food dishes will be forbidden. | D．Swallowing disorders will disappear. |
| A．It’s time to save energy using 3D printers. |
| B．Without 3D printer the world would be less colorful. |
| C．3D printed food will make chefs out of work in future. |
| D．3D-printed cheesecakes predict ‘personalized nutrition’. |
3 . Using fatty foods to comfort eat during times of stress can harm the body’s recovery from the pressure, research suggests.
Although many people turn to unhealthy foods such as chocolate, crisps or pastries when they are feeling the strain, researchers have found this can reduce blood flow to the brain and cause poorer vascular (血管的) function, which in turn can have a negative effect on mental health and increase the risk of heart disease. The researchers suggest people resist the attraction of convenient treats by eating fruits and vegetables instead.
Prof Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten said, “We looked at healthy 18- to 30-year-olds for this study, and to see such a clear difference in how their bodies recover from stress when they eat fatty foods is staggering.” For people who already have an increased risk of cardiovascular (心血管) disease, the impacts could be even more serious. We all deal with stress all the time, but especially for those of us in high-stress jobs and at risk of cardiovascular disease, these findings should be taken seriously. This research can help us make decisions that reduce risks rather than make them worse.
The study involved a group of young healthy adults who were given two butter bread as breakfast. The participants were then asked to do mental maths, increasing in speed for eight minutes, and alerted when they got an answer wrong. They could also see themselves on a screen.
The researchers found that consuming fatty foods when mentally stressed reduced vascular function by 1.74%. Previous studies have shown that a 1% reduction in vascular function leads to a 13% increase in cardiovascular disease risk.
“We also know that the elasticity (弹性) of our blood tubes, which is a measure of vascular function, declines following mental stress,” said the study’s first author, Rosalind Baynham from the University of Birmingham.
1. What’s the finding of the research?| A．Why people like fatty foods. |
| B．How people recover from stress. |
| C．What people should eat to keep fit. |
| D．Eating fatty foods when stressed is bad for health. |
| A．Seeking low-stress jobs. | B．Dining out in clean restaurants. |
| C．Examining your body regularly. | D．Eating more fruits and vegetables. |
| A．Disappointing. | B．Shocking. |
| C．Confusing. | D．Exciting. |
| A．A magazine. | B．A textbook. |
| C．A science fiction. | D．A recipe book. |
4 . In September 2005, the ground suddenly sank 10 feet in a certain area in northern Ethiopia, rapidly separated on both sides, with large holes that could engulf several camels and several goats. In the next three weeks, 160 earthquakes occurred in this area, forming a large crack 25 feet wide and approximately 0.34 miles long.
Tim Wright, a geophysicist at the University of Leeds in England, used satellite radar data to accurately piece together the formation process of this crack. When the African and Arab tectonic plates drift to both sides, the crust between the two plates weakens. Wright said: “The magma (岩浆) formed at the bottom of the crust will drop down regularly, just like the Lava lamp, forming a ‘balloon’, which will gradually expand. When the ‘balloon’ reaches the critical pressure, it will explode.”
According to Wright’s estimate, in the next 1 million years or so, the cracks will continue to expand, and the Horn of Africa will completely detach from the African continent, forming the eighth largest continent on Earth—East Africa. Wright said that this geological process always occurs, but ground separating usually only occur at the bottom of the sea, which is difficult for people to see. He said, “This is the first time we have directly observed this extremely important geological process using modern instruments.”
This discovery caused a shocking in the scientific community. In 2006, inspection teams from the UK, France, Italy, and the United States came to Afar one after another. After analysis and research, they predicted that a new continent would be formed in one million years, the Great Rift Valley in East Africa would be 10 times longer than it is today, and the Cape of Good Hope in East Africa would be separated from the African continent. In response, American geologist Cindy Ebinger said, “Many people believe that violent geological phenomena only occurred in distant ancient times, but we can now see them happening.”
What is the future of the Great Rift Valley? Perhaps our humans can only wait and see.
1. What is the purpose of the data in the first paragraph?| A．Describe economic losses | B．Illustrate the impact of sinking |
| C．Explain the research results | D．Number of participants named for the study |
| A．To better explain plate splitting | B．Further increase research funny |
| C．Explain satellite radar data | D．Causing a shock in the scientific community |
| A．sink | B．destroy | C．contribute | D．divide |
| A．The ground in Ethiopia sank and swallowed 160 camels. |
| B．Ground cracking rarely occurs on the seabed. |
| C．Teams from four countries predict there will be eight continents in one million years. |
| D．Intense geological phenomena only occur in distant ancient times. |
A punctual person is in the habit of doing things at proper time in a
Unpunctuality is very harmful. Friends sometimes grow cold to wards each other, or even become
There is a proverb which says, “There is a time
6 . The Past and Present Lives of Mineral Water
We are not unfamiliar with mineral water, but do you understand its origin?
In 1992, Zhuhai Jialin Co., Ltd. took the lead in producing the first barrel of bottled water in China: Jialin Mountain Barreled Water.
After 2005, the invasion of foreign brand water enterprises, such as Nongfu Spring and Yibao, formed the situation of a hundred flowers blooming in Zhuhai’s drinking water market.
Until May 2010, Jialin Mountain was 100% purchased by China Resources Beverage, which was once a famous enterprise in Guangdong Province, and then withdrew from the market, while Ipoh, who obtained the mining right of Jialin Mountain mineral water, jumped to the first place in Guangdong Province in drinking water.
| A．At this time, Jialin Mountain felt that its country had been seriously threatened |
| B．In 1993, Zhuhai held a series of events but all ended in failure |
| C．At that time, the selling price of bottled water was extremely high, with a barrel of water once selling at a maximum of 120 yuan |
| D．From 1992 to 2001, Jialin Mountain can be said to be a synonym for drinking water |
| E．At the beginning of the 21st century, competition in China’s mineral Fishery industry will continue to intensify |
| F．Until now, Yibao, Nongfu Spring and Wahaha are all the leaders in China’s mineral spring Fishery industry |
| G．In 1994, Zhuhai successively launched multiple major projects |
7 . Metal self-healing refers to the ability of a metal material to recover its original structure and performance after being damaged or destroyed. This self-healing capability can reduce the cost of repairing and replacing metal materials, extend their service life, and improve the sustainability of materials.
In July 20, 2023, scientists have witnessed for the first time that metal fragments rupture without human intervention and then re-melt together. The team found that disappearing cracks are nano-sized, small but important. If the newly discovered phenomenon can be exploited, it may lead to an engineering revolution. In this revolution, self-healing engines, bridges, and aircraft can remove wear and tear damage, making it safer and more durable.
The Sandia National Laboratory and Texas A & M University team described the discovery in Nature on the 20th.
In the science fiction movie “The Terminator 2,” the robot T1000, made of liquid metal, left a deep impression because it could change its shape at will and repair itself after hitting. However, at the 2019 International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, the JSK Lab at the University of Tokyo showed a prototype of a robotic leg with a tendon “fuse” made of metal that can repair a fracture, and by automatically fusing and transforming into a single part, a movie is about to come true.
Insiders pointed out that if metal self-repairing can be utilized, it will improve the competitiveness of industrial products and promote the development of relevant industries, which is of great significance to achieve the two goals of sustainable human development, energy conservation and environmental protection.
In terms of transportation, the internal wear and fuel consumption rate of engines of vehicles and vessels powered by fuel increase gradually. Self-repair engines can reduce the wear of parts, improve the service life of engines, improve the operation rate, and save huge amounts of funds every year, thus improving the comprehensive benefits.
In addition, self-healing bridges and aircraft eliminate wear and tear damage, making them safer and more durable. The crowd said it was amazing!
1. Why does the second paragraph say that this discovery may cause the revolution?| A．Because the structure of metals is very complex. |
| B．Because human intervention makes healing easier. |
| C．Because this repair capability can reduce a lot of costs. |
| D．Because this is the first natural healing discovered. |
| A．Learned metal self-healing | B．It is composed of liquids |
| C．It is highly likely to appear in reality | D．It was made by the University of Tokyo |
| A．Reduce costs and protect energy | B．Make movies come true |
| C．Improve product competitiveness | D．Triggering the Industrial Revolution |
| A．Neutral | B．Approval | C．Dismissive | D．Unclear |
8 . Should we hide in the “Triangle (三角) of Life” when the earthquake comes?
At 1:39 on June 15, a magnitude (里氏) 3.1 earthquake occurred in Qingpu District, Shanghai, with a focal depth of 8 kilometers. Earthquakes are one of the major natural disasters, so how to avoid danger and self rescue during earthquakes has become a topic of great concern.
There has always been a saying on the Internet that when an earthquake comes, collapsed objects and solid large objects will form a triangular space around them(the “Triangle of Life area”), and hiding in this area will have a greater probability of survival, which many people believe deeply.
In this regard, the China Earthquake Administration said that although observing the ruins after the earthquake, we can find that there are similar triangular spaces in some places.
However, when an earthquake occurs, people cannot know in advance the way of the earthquake, the direction of the collapse of buildings or objects, and it is difficult to know where there will be the so-called “Triangle of Life”.
The “Triangle of Life area” was proposed by an American disaster relief worker named Kupp, who believed that traditional self-help methods such as drilling tables were no longer suitable for people living in modern buildings. The collapsed floor structure would crush the tables or beds for refuge, and only hiding in the triangle area could survive.
Although the “Triangle of Life area” self-help method has been popular for more than ten years. However, the American Red Cross, the California State Emergency Service Office and earthquake experts have all pointed out the irrationality of the “Triangle of Life”. The Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management has also provided a refutation explanation.
In fact, after an earthquake, the internationally recognized most reliable method of self rescue is ‘lying on the ground, blocking, and holding onto your hands’. You should lie down, squat down, or sit down, try to lower the center of gravity of the body, and protect important parts such as the head, neck, eyes, and mouth and nose.
1. What information can we learn about the “Triangle of Life” in the first three paragraphs?| A．The Triangle of Life area is an official definition. |
| B．Many people believe in the “Triangle of Life”. |
| C．The earthquake in Shanghai has caused panic among the masses. |
| D．When an earthquake strikes, one should hide in the triangle area. |
| A．To protect himself | B．To overthrow the government |
| C．To avoid earthquakes | D．To attract attention |
| A．Its unpredictability | B．Its out-of-date construction |
| C．Its instability | D．Its illegality |
| A．Newspaper | B．Horror Book | C．History Book | D．Science Magazine |
9 . Fears are a normal part of childhood. Sometimes kids are afraid of imaginary things, like monsters. But often, fears are related to what’s going on in their lives. Learning to cope with fear isn’t always easy.
Take the fear seriously.
Sometimes to help our kids, we say things like “There’s nothing to be scared of.”
Make a list.
Work with your child to list the things or situations that cause fear. Go over your child’s worst-case scenario(情况).
Break the fear into smaller pieces.
Tackling a fear all at once can be difficult.
Cheer your child on.
| A．You can group similar fears. |
| B．This doesn’t make your child less afraid. |
| C．Change takes time and doesn’t happen all at once. |
| D．Ask specific questions to help your child explain it. |
| E．It’s tough for some kids who learn and think differently. |
| F．Putting the fear into words can help reduce the child’s concern. |
| G．Instead, try smaller steps to reach the goal of conquering a fear. |
My dad worked in construction. His day started early and ended late. All he wanted to do was crash on the couch and relax when he got home. For the most part that was what he did. No one complained; we were just happy when he was home.
But one hot and muggy summer, when my parents’ nineteenth anniversary was coming up, they made plans to go out, just the two of them. The big day finally arrived and Dad got home at seven. Mom had fed me early. She was dressed in her finest and wearing her favorite pair of high heels when he came in. He came through the kitchen and headed for the family room. It was obvious he was hot and tired.
“Honey, I just need a thirty-minute nap and then we will go out to eat,” he said as he sat down on the couch. Mom was already on her way over to the couch to give him a fresh cup of hot coffee. She bent over and kissed him on the head and said, “I’ll be ready whenever you are.”
I knew how important this evening was to my mother, but before long Dad was fast asleep. Then I watched my mother do the strangest thing. She reached into the refrigerator and took out eggs and bacon. Soon she had a batch of biscuits baking in the oven.
Before my eyes she piled a plate full of his favorite foods. As she set another fresh cup of coffee on the end table she bent down and kissed him while whispering in his ear. “It’s time to wake up.”
He sat up on the edge of the couch. As he looked up he found my mom standing in front of him with his dinner. “Honey, I promised you I would take you out to dinner and I meant it.” he said sincerely.
Mom sat down beside him on the couch as he took the plate of food. She said, “I know you would, but I also know you’ve had a hard day and you’re tired. What’s important is that we are together. We can go out any time for dinner.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
My dad sat there, holding the plate of dinner prepared by my mom.
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Suddenly, the doorbell rang and I knew my special package for them came.
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