1 . When you have to cancel your Thanksgiving plans due to the spread of the COVID-19, you may find yourself craving companionship as much as that pumpkin pie. That’s because parts of the brain respond to loneliness much like they react to hunger, according to a study in Nature Neuroscience.
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology scanned the brains of 40 healthy, social young adults after 10 hours of either fasting (禁食) or social isolation (隔离). They found that after being alone, participants’ neurological responses to social signals were similar to hungry people reacting to food — that is, certain areas of the brain linked to desire were turned on to start working.
For an isolated person, a picture of people laughing together caused the same areas of the brain to light up as when a hungry person looked at a big plate of pasta.
“Just like hunger is an unpleasant sensation that motivates us to seek out food and thirst motivates us to seek out water, loneliness is a biological need that motivates us to reconnect to others,” Holt-Lunstad told Insider.
Researchers were surprised to find that people who were prevented from socializing became much more focused on that need, and less reactive to hunger. As their loneliness increased, they became less responsive to images of food.
These latest findings suggest that the relationship between food and loneliness might be more complicated than we thought, despite the popular opinion of stress-eating to cope with social isolation. More research is needed to understand the complex ways people deal with loneliness.
Studies like this can help scientists understand how the brain processes loneliness, and possibly reduce the negative consequences. However, although loneliness may be similar to hunger, fixing it isn’t as easy as serving someone a hearty dinner because people are unique and they need varying levels of social interactions to meet their needs.
1. The underlined word “craving” in the first paragraph can be replaced by .| A．avoiding | B．desiring | C．preferring | D．ignoring |
| A．to find their brain responses to both loneliness and hunger |
| B．to provide explanations for their feeling lonely and hungry |
| C．to find how loneliness can have a negative impact on health |
| D．after they have been hungry and socially isolated for 10 hours |
| A．Hunger is an unpleasant sensation. |
| B．Hunger and thirst motivate us to feed ourselves. |
| C．Socializing is supposed to be basic human need as it is. |
| D．The effects of loneliness on health are comparable to other factors. |
| A．Loneliness may be fixed just as hunger is satisfied. |
| B．Situations of loneliness are complicated and hard to cope with. |
| C．Scientists have understood how the brain processes loneliness. |
| D．Loneliness is such a common and serious problem that we all have to suffer. |
2 . Have you ever imagined an insect-inspired robot, which weighs less than a gram, could one day help out in surgery (外科手术)?
Scientists have designed this small, “insect-bot” called mCLARI that can control and even change its body shape as it travels in different environments to fit through gaps. It’s 2 centimeters long, weighs less than 0.97 grams and can travel at a speed of 6 centimeters per second.It’s the smaller, faster replacement to CLARI, which was designed by the same team.
“Because of the robot’s small size and ability to change shape, we expect usage of this technology in four important areas,” the lead author Kaushik Jayaram said. These include disaster (灾害) response , check on high-value objects, environmental monitoring and medical treatment.
“In the long term, we hope such robots will be used more widely in moving through human bodies and performing surgeries that can’t be easily done at present,” Jayaram said. With mCLARI, Jayaram’s team is moving closer to creating robots that can fit in different environments—just like the insects they’re inspired by.
The mCLARI robot has four legs and can move in narrow spaces by changing between running forward and side-to-side and can use different speeds in human bodies. Its legs are joined to its body through joints (关节), which enables mCLARI to change its body shape based on the environment it is in. For example, its legs can be lengthened up to 50% in certain spaces.
As follow-up work, the scientists want to give mCLARI more power and sensing ability while helping the surgeries. “We are also excited about understanding the effect of shape change on improving functions of robots,” Jayaram said. “And this is sure a great one-step forward of the technology. The robot will have entered the market by 2025 and will bring greater benefits to mankind, especially in medical treatment.”
1. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?| A．Possible application fields of the robot. | B．Different types of the robot. |
| C．Several important features of the robot. | D．Working process of the robot. |
| A．Valuable but uncontrollable. | B．Modern but high-cost. |
| C．Heavy and time-consuming. | D．Advanced and effective. |
| A．Worried. | B．Positive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．Jayaram: A Scientist Studying Robot Intelligence |
| B．mCLARI Is Already Widely Available in the Market |
| C．CLARI: A Robot Invented by Inspiration from the Insects |
| D．A Tiny Shape-changing Robot Will Help Perform Surgeries |
1. 表达支持;
2. 提出建议。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80个左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Jack,
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Yours,
Li Hua
Zhang Pihe, a Bai woman from Dali, is introducing the Bai culture to visitors who come to Hequn Village in Sangzhi County, Hunan Province．People watch how she
Up to now, a great many visitors
About 700 years ago, some Bai people came to Hequn Village from Dali．After that, they were too busy making a living away from their homes
Brought up and deeply influenced by the Bai culture, Zhang hopes she can help protect and pass it down．So when she moved to Hequn Village, she started her lifelon g career．“I hope to take advantage of the traditional cultural resources of the Bai ethnic group to help the
On her arrival, Zhang set up the Bai tie-dyeing room,
“I have more confidence in spreading our Bai culture,” said Zhang．
5 . A friendship doesn’t begin with the hope that it will end. We invest time and energy, not believing that our efforts could ultimately be fruitless.
If you and your friend need to have a serious heart-to-heart conversation, it’s a good idea to select the right time and place to talk. Choose a time when you both have some open availability. Don’t try to jam in a heavy conversation in a half-hour lunch break on a workday.
There may be moments in the conversation when you feel-yourself tense up, want to shut down or explode in anger.
Friendships take time to rebuild especially if trust has been broken. Don’t expect things to go right back to normal once you and your friend talk through things.
| A．Also, find a setting that’s private. |
| B．You can’t fix a problem you don’t make out. |
| C．Nevertheless, friendships aren’t always forever. |
| D．Try to notice these urges without acting on them. |
| E．Whatever the reason, don’t hesitate to take action. |
| F．Instead, go slowly and gradually reestablish closeness. |
| G．You both have a say on how to strengthen bonds with the other. |
6 . High engagement, high return. That’s the advice from education experts at the University of South Australia for teachers looking to improve student outcomes.
Filming and assessing (评估) the content of classrooms across South Australia and Victoria, researchers found in a new study that nearly 70% of student tasks involved superficial learning — simple question and answers, taking notes, or listening to teachers — rather than activities that engage students on a deeper level. Less than a third of teachers are engaging students in complicated learning, limiting student opportunities for critical thinking and problem solving.
UniSA researcher, Dr. Stephenson, highlights teachers need more support to plan interactive and constructive lessons that promote deep learning. “The greater the engagement, the deeper the learning. Deep learning requites the organization of knowledge into conceptual structures, which improves information memory and learning outcomes. It also supports the development of innovative thinking. Even small changes to teachers’ existing lesson plans and teaching methods can vastly increase student engagement and overall results,” he says.
“At a base level, teachers should consider how they can adjust their existing classroom activities so that more tasks are on the deeper end of learning. Take for example, watching a video. Students can silently watch a video (which is ‘passive’); watch a video and take notes using the presenter’s words (which is ‘active’); write questions that occur for them while watching the video (which is ‘constructive’); or watch a video and discuss it with another student to generate different ideas (which is ‘interactive’). Interactive engagement in classrooms motivates students to develop deeper understanding. They’re making judgments, suggesting and commenting on arguments and opinions, and working out solutions to problems,” Dr. Stephenson says.
Interestingly, many teachers seem not to know or fully appreciate the importance of how their lesson tasks can stimulate different modes of student engagement. “Even changing class activities from ‘active’ to ‘constructive ’can go a long way towards improving student leaning,” Dr. Stephenson says. “Teachers should undertake professional development to transform their thinking towards practices that support deeper-learning and better outcomes for students.”
1. What does the underlined word “superficial” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Shallow. | B．Productive. | C．Confusing. | D．Challenging. |
| A．They make classes lively and fun. |
| B．They achieve no desired results. |
| C．They contribute to students’ deep thinking. |
| D．They stop students from concentration. |
| A．A group debate. | B．A film screening. |
| C．A reading contest. | D．A retelling exercise. |
| A．Increase class activities. |
| B．Interact with students more often. |
| C．Upgrade teaching strategies. |
| D．Engage students in more self-study. |
7 . People flood into cities for understandable reasons: more job opportunities, more cultural diversity and larger communities. Yet living in a concrete-walled, green-poor, urban environment takes away from our-very essence our fundamental need to be close to nature. We can’t quite break the link with our evolutionary (进化的) past and part ways with our origins. Surrounding ourselves with walls and ‘screens, we tend to pay a price, often with our health and quality of life.
In Japan, a populous country with vast expanses of green forests, an ancient tradition, known as shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, tries to balance out the pressure from urban living. It’s the practice of spending prolonged periods of time with trees to gain from their many health benefits. In a book hitting shelves this month, Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness, Dr. Qing Li, the world’s foremost expert in forest medicine, introduces readers to the valuable practice of forest bathing. The book features more than 100 color photographs of forests around the world. One may reject this kind of book as yet less convincing, but the point is that Li has not just practiced forest bathing, but has also studied its impact on people’s health through numerous scientific studies. He has data to support his claims, collected in a long list of expert-reviewed articles at the end of the book.
The book lists studies that consistently show-a substantial, reduction of stress hormones (应激激素). Essential tree oils found in forest air increase energy levels by more than 30 percent and improve a general state of well-being, including improvement in sleep.
Scientific results apart, the, concept of forest bathing shouldn’t be so surprising. Who hasn’t felt an inner sense of well-being when walking along a quiet forest path? Stepping into a forest, away from the artificial sounds and smells of urban life, does feel like pushing a life reset button, reestablishing a connection with our deepest needs.
To celebrate this wonderful book and. what seems to be a rediscovery of forest bathing in our life, I’m going to go now—to take: my forest bath.
1. What is stressed in paragraph 1?| A．The harm of electronics. |
| B．The downside of city life. |
| C．The consequences of lack of workout. |
| D．The reasons for pursuit of urban living. |
| A．Promoting a lifestyle. |
| B．Presenting research results. |
| C．Stating the significance of walks. |
| D．Appealing for forest conservation. |
| A．One-sided. | B．Sharply worded. |
| C．Evidence-based. | D．Widely recognized. |
| A．Through clinical cases. |
| B．Through practical experience. |
| C．Through official statistics. |
| D．Through Japanese experts’ studies. |
8 . A team of students in the Netherlands has designed and built a solid car that’s completely powered by the sun. The car, called Stella Terra, is the first solar-powered car that can travel off-road for long distances without needing a recharging station.
Students at Eindhoven University of Technology have been working on solar-powered cars for years. But last year, 30 students, known as Solar Team Eindhoven, took a year off to work on developing an off-road solar-powered car.
To bring a highly efficient(有效的)solar-powered car closer to reality, the team designed the entire car, from top to bottom. The car generated energy using the absorbed solar power from the solar panels(板)on top, which are 97% efficient. Most solar panels, by contrast, are only about 20% efficient, meaning a waste of about 80% of the sunlight they get. Weighing just 2,600 pounds, the car has a top speed of 90 miles per hour and can run for 440 miles on a sunny day. On the bottom, they designed a system to handle the heavy shaking that comes when driving over uneven surfaces.
The landscape of the Netherlands limits the testing options available to the team, so they took the car on its biggest test drive across Morocco, where the car had to weather through forests and dry riverbeds, across loose desert sand and up challenging mountain paths. The car succeeded in doing all of this and all without ever stopping at a charging station.
“It was an incredible trip with a positive ending. We’ re pushing the boundaries of technology,” says Wisse Bos, the team manager. The team take pride in their car, but they won’t be upset if car companies start to copy their ideas. In fact, they hope Stella Terra will inspire car companies to work on similar projects. But despite their success, the students think it’ll take 5 to 10 years before car companies are able to build a similar car.
1. What can be a suitable title for the text?| A．An Adventurous Trip |
| B．The Future of Electric Cars |
| C．Stella Terra: the First Eco-friendly Vehicle |
| D．Students Create Lasting ‘Solar-Powered Car |
| A．To highlight the development of cars. |
| B．To explain the car’s complex structure. |
| C．To clarify problems with other solar panels: |
| D．To demonstrate the car’s good performance: |
| A．It’s a thinly populated place. |
| B．It enjoys a pleasant climate. |
| C．Its landforms meet test requirements. |
| D．It has convenient transportation. |
| A．Disturbed. | B．Shocked. | C．Excited. | D．Awkward. |
9 . As the fall season paints Illinois in lively colors, you’re welcome to make your fall exploration journey one to remember. Worldatlas.com offers you the least-crowded towns to catch fall leaves.
Carbondale
Carbondale leads the list as it is heightened by waterbodies that match its leaves. Its diverse trees form the appealing fall atmospheres, with its topmost leaf season in mid-October. Adventurists can wander out to Castle Park with family members or explore more challenging nature routes.
Grafton
Grafton is one of the best fall season destinations for its unique community and scenic sailing routes. Sitting along the Mississippi River, the city comes alive with a mix of orange, red, and green colors in late October. Some of the best breathtaking fall views can be sighted around sunset when the still waters mirror the pink clouds and lively leaf colors.
Alton
Located 15 miles from Grafton, Alton is a slightly more crowded destination to observe annual leaves, but not less lively. Alton is also situated along the Mississippi River and shares one of the most scenic routes on Highway 100 with its neighboring town of Grafton. Alton adds a unique turn to the typical trips for being the most haunted (闹鬼的) town in Illinois, making it an excellent destination to visit during Halloween.
Galena
Galena enriches Illinois’. fall appeal with well-undamaged historical attractions, offering visitors more than just absorbing leaves to enjoy, The Helluva Half Mile, once famous as the center of the gold mining (矿业) town, has over 125 small shops and businesses to visit during your exploration. Outdoor events are another primary reason to visit Galena during this fall season.
1. When is the best time to appreciate leaves in Carbondale?| A．August. | B．January. | C．November. | D．October. |
| A．They’re large gold producers. |
| B．They’re located by a big river. |
| C．They open their historical sites for free. |
| D．They’ve won fame for a holiday celebration. |
| A．A travel website. | B．A geography textbook. |
| C．A government document. | D．A newspaper advertisement. |
Ever since Jake first watched the 1988 Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea, he had dreamed of being in the Olympics. For years, he had worked hard to become a good swimmer, training and practicing. Two decades later, he was in Beijing, China, for his first Olympic performance, as part of his country’s swimming team!
The Olympic Stadium was packed with athletes from all over the world, all eagerly awaiting the start of the opening parade (入场式). The atmosphere was electric and everything seemed perfect. Almost.
Jake loved his red, white and blue official Olympic jacket with the Olympic rings on the back. But several minutes before, Jake had torn a hole in the left sleeve (袖子) of his jacket when it got caught in a gate.
“Too bad about your jacket,” his teammate, Ben, commented.
“I hope nobody notices it,” Jake sighed.
“Someone will,” Ben laughed.
Jake didn’t respond as he was already feeling annoyed and depressed after having to deal with his lost suitcase when they landed at the airport the day before. He could not believe how things were not going his way.
Suddenly, a lovely little girl about 8 years old came up to Jake and pointed at the tear in his sleeve. Jake smiled at her. The girl started speaking in a language he couldn’t understand, all the while pointing at his torn sleeve. Unable to catch a word, Jake turned to his teammates for help but all of them shook their heads with a helpless expression. At that moment, the little girl began to take off her own jacket that was marked with a red English word “China” and looked up at Jake eagerly, signing to Jake to do so.
“Oh, I get it. You want to try it on. Here you go!” Jake slipped off the jacket and handed it to her. The Chinese girl took it, bowed and took off with his jacket right away!
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。
“Can’t she be a little thief?” Ben joked, pointing at her back.
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Jake turned around, only to see the little girl coming.
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