1 . Crossing the pedestrian bridge that connects our school to its surrounding neighborhood reminds us that there's more to Rochester than just our school.
Study somewhere else besides school. Go to a coffee shop, or one of the public libraries. I like the music library at Eastman, and the coffee shop across the street, Java's. Rochester is full of cafes and spots to sit and study.
Go to a concert, if you're into that. The Little Theater has free live music every single night, and there's a variety of other bars and music halls that bring in local artists. Most venues offer shows for less than $10.
Go for more walks. When you're stuck, listen to music and roam around our campus. Sit under a tree and look at all the people walking by. Or take one of the shuttles that stop in front of the library to a new neighborhood, like the South Wedge, and float in and out of the small businesses along the street. Or, if you know somebody with a car, go to Letchworth and see the waterfalls.
| A．Go to the Live Music. |
| B．Go to the Public Market. |
| C．But how often do we cross that bridge? |
| D．No matter what it is, going outside always helps. |
| E．If you can focus outside of our own library, do it. |
| F．Additionally, all student concerts at Eastman are free for students at our school. |
| G．It's no secret that our college campus, like the majority of campuses, is a bubble. |
2 . Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (麻省理工学院) have turned spider webs into music——creating an strange soundtrack that could help them better understand how the spiders output their complex creations and even how they communicate.
The MIT team worked with Berlin-based artist Tomas Saraceno to take 2D (two- dimensional) laser (激光) scans of a spider web, which were linked together and made into a mathematical model that could recreate the web in 3D in VR (virtual reality). They also worked with MIT’s music department to create the virtual instrument.
“Even though the web looks really random (随机)，there actually are a lot of inside structures and you can visualize (可视化) them and you can look at them, but it’s really hard to grasp for the human imagination or human brain to understand all these structural details,” said MIT engineering professor Markus Buehler, who presented the work on Monday at a virtual meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Listening to the music while moving through the VR spider web lets you see and hear these structural changes and gives a better idea of how spiders see the world, he told CNN. “Spiders use vibrations (振动) as a way to locate themselves, to communicate with other spiders and so the idea of thinking really like a spider would experience the world was something that was very important to us as spider material scientists,” Buehler said.
Spiders are able to build their webs without shelves or supports, so having a better idea of how they work could lead to the development of advanced new 3D printing techniques. “The reason why I did that is I wanted to be able to get information really from the spider world, which is very weird and mysterious,” Buehler explained. In addition to the scientific value, Buehler said the webs are musically interesting and that you can hear the sounds the spider creates during construction. “It’s unusual and eerie and scary, but finally beautiful.” he described.
1. What have MIT scientists done according to the passage?| A．They have translated spider webs into sounds. |
| B．They have made a mathematical model to produce webs. |
| C．They have created a soundtrack to catch spiders. |
| D．They have known how spiders communicate. |
| A．Their structures are beautiful and clear. |
| B．Professor Markus Buehler knows them well. |
| C．The American Chemical Society presents the result. |
| D．They are complex for people to figure it out. |
| A．virtual reality | B．printing |
| C．painting | D．film-making |
| A．It tells us that the music created by spiders is scary. |
| B．It shows how the researchers carry out the experiment. |
| C．It presents a new and creative way to study spiders. |
| D．It explains why scientists did the experiment. |
3 . When my grandmother Deed was young she contracted polio (小儿麻痹症). She was kept in bed for the better part of a year and lost the use of her right leg. She was raising my young father on her own, so it felt like an impossible situation. Her family gave her much support and encouragement. Slowly but surely, Deed learned not only to deal, but to thrive with her disability. People thought she was crazy when she wanted to start her own business, but she was determined. She borrowed money from the bank for her business. She went on to run a successful company and became one of the first women entrepreneurs in the city of Revere, Massachusetts.
I truly believe polio was a gift to my grandmother. It strengthened her beliefs and made her strong and resilient (有适应力的), but it also forced her to slow down and think about everything quietly and seriously. She never complained about her condition, not once.
However, I often got angry and complained when things weren't going my way. Deed would turn to me and gave me advice on my next move. Though far from Hollywood (she lived on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire), Deed seemed to know answers to the problems that seemed to puzzle me. She was my trusted mentor (导师). With each visit, she would help me better myself; expand my mind and go after bigger dreams.
I became confident, more driven and focused on what I wanted to achieve. Each step of the way, Deed was there to cheer me on. The more I leaned back out of fear, the more she challenged me to walk further to the possibilities.
Within a month of selling my first screenplay, Deed passed away. She is on my mind daily. Now, whenever I deal with career issues that scare me, I would remind myself of her greatest piece of advice: Sit down and take a breath. It will all work out.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．Introducing Deed to us. |
| B．Telling us what Deed suffered. |
| C．Showing us the author's family. |
| D．Informing us about Deed's disease. |
| A．Every dog has its day. | B．Every coin has two sides. |
| C．Hard work pays off. | D．Time and tide wait for no man. |
| A．Complain to him. | B．Give him some advice. |
| C．Explain the trouble to him. | D．Move a step forward to him. |
| A．To tell us how he got success. | B．To give us some advice on life. |
| C．To show us his life in the childhood. | D．To remember his grandmother. |
Many buildings along the Yangtze River have been destroyed during the flood season,
5 . Seasonal pumped hydropower storage（SPHS），an already established yet infrequently used technology ,could be an affordable and sustainable solution（解决方法）to store energy and water annually, according to new IIASA research published in the journal Nature Communications. Compared with other mature storage solutions, such as natural gas, the study shows that there is considerable potential for SPHS to provide highly competitive energy storage costs.
Seasonal pumped hydropower storage means pumping water into a deep storage reservoir（水库）, built parallel to a major river, during times of high water flow or low energy demand. When water is not enough or energy demand increases，stored water is then released from the reservoir to generate electricity.
The new study is the first to provide a global, high-resolution analysis of the potential and costs for SPHS technology. In their analysis, researchers assessed the theoretical global potential for storing energy and water seasonally with SPHS, focusing on the locations with the highest potential and lowest cost. They found that the technology would be particularly effective in the Himalayas, the Andes, Alps，and the Rocky Mountains, as well as mountainous regions in the Middle East, Brazil, Asia, and Russia, and many other locations around the world.
The study also addresses some of the potential environmental concerns related to hydropower. Because SPHS reservoirs are deep and constructed parallel to, rather than within the course of a river, the environmental and land use impacts can also be up to 10 to 50 times smaller than conventional hydropower plants.
Hunt, lead author of the study, says, “With the need for a change to a more sustainable world with lower CO2 emissions（排放），renewable energies and energy storage will play a major role in the near future. Given the vast untapped（未开发的）and cheap potential of SPHS, it will soon play an important role in storing energy and water on a yearly basis.”
1. What is the strength of SPHS based on the new IIASA research?| A．It’s costly. | B．It’s out-dated. |
| C．It’s rarely used. | D．It’s inexpensive. |
| A．Environmental protection. | B．High profits. |
| C．Suitable places. | D．Water flow. |
| A．They damage the river. |
| B．They are environmentally friendly. |
| C．They are similar to traditional hydropower plants. |
| D．They can be effective in many places globally. |
| A．Promising. | B．Panicking. |
| C．Discouraging. | D．Demanding. |
6 . Sir David Attenborough is set to host a brand new natural history series, named A Perfect Planet. The noted documentarian is back, and will be starring in a five-part BBC One series which will take a look at “the intricate（复杂）systems” that allow Earth to boom.
The show is set to explain how the planet operates, looking at everything from ocean currents to solar energy to the weather, and risking all around the world, from India to the Arctic.
Plus, in showing how the earth works, the documentary will also seek to display how animals adapt to their natural environments as they continue to change. As ever, it sounds like a truly fantastic watch.
It won’t be a surprise to hear that the new Attenborough series is set to feature some wonderful film scenes, too.
Speaking of the brand new series, from Our Planet producers Silverback Films, Sir David said: “Oceans，sunlight, weather and volcanoes - together these powerful yet fragile forces allow life to flourish（茂盛）in astonishing diversity. They make Earth truly unique-a perfect planet. Our planet is one in a billion, a world filled with life. But now, a new determining force is changing the face of Earth: humans. To preserve our perfect planet we must ensure we become a force for good.”
While an exact first-show date has not yet been announced, the show is set to land on BBC One later this year.
1. What do we know about Sir David Attenborough?| A．He will direct the series. | B．He will host a space series. |
| C．He enjoys a good popularity. | D．He will explore all around the world. |
| A．fantastic shots |
| B．performances of film stars |
| C．animals’ adaptation to environmental change |
| D．how the natural forces in the world work overall |
| A．Man. | B．The animal. |
| C．Climate change. | D．The power of nature. |
| A．Health and Lifestyle. | B．Sports and Games. |
| C．TV and Films. | D．Fashion and Beauty. |
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1. What is promoted in this text?| A．A travel package. |
| B．A train service. |
| C．A family plan. |
| D．An accommodation service. |
| A．Wi-Fi signals | B．priority boarding |
| C．on-board breakfast | D．charging points |
| A．￡230. | B．￡330. | C．￡660. | D．￡740. |
8 . A 23-year-old British woman has invented a product that she hopes will one day take the place of single-use plastic. The new product is made by combining fishing waste and algae （藻类）.
Lucy Hughes created the material, called MarinaTex, for her final year project at the University of Sussex. She continued her research after she left the university.
On November 13, the James Dyson Foundation announced that Hughes was the international winner of the 2019 James Dyson Award for design.
MarinaTex is edible, meaning it can be eaten without danger. Hughes says it also is strong and stable. But unlike plastic, MarinaTex breaks down in four to six weeks under normal conditions and does not pollute the soil.
The inventor said she is concerned about the growing amounts of plastics in ocean waters. She noted one report that there would be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans by the year 2050. The United Nations estimates that 100 million tons of plastic waste has already been left in the oceans.
Hughes also was investigating ways to reduce the amount of waste from the fishing industry. The industry produces an estimated 50 million tons of waste worldwide each year, UN officials say.
Hughes told Reuters that she was "trying to work out how I could use the waste stream and add value to that waste." Examining fish parts left over from processing helped to give her the idea for a material that was useful and did not harm the environment.
To create a strong material, Hughes added the molecule chitosan, which comes from sea creatures like crabs, and agar, a material from red algae.
After months of testing, Hughes produced a strong, flexible sheet that forms at temperatures below 100 degrees Celsius.
Inventor James Dyson said that MarinaTex is "stronger, safer and much more sustainable" than the plastic polyethylene. It is also easier to break down than other possible replacement products for polyethylene, the material that single-use plastic bags are made of.
Hughes will receive about $41,000 in prize money as the first place winner of the James Dyson Award. She told Reuters that she plans to use the money to better develop the product and ways to mass produce it.
1. When did Lucy Hughes create MarinaTex?| A．At university. | B．After graduation. |
| C．Before going to university. | D．After winning the James Dyson Award. |
| A．It is delicious. | B．It is environmentally friendly. |
| C．It is a type of plastics. | D．It exists for a long time in nature. |
| A．Observing the process of fishing. |
| B．Studying different parts of a fish. |
| C．Checking waste from the fishing industry. |
| D．Examining left-over fish parts after cooking. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Education. |
| C．Lifestyle. | D．Technology. |
Experts say the bee population is getting smaller because of climate change and other human-caused
Thiele,
While bees crawled （爬）over his hands and arms he said, "It feels so close and I feel how
He added that honey bees show how fragile life is. He made a
10 . Screens during meals rob kids of opportunities to improve language and communication skills （storytelling, making jokes, etc.）, as well as to develop patience and even imagination as they entertain themselves waiting for food to arrive.
Meals are an opportunity to connect, to learn more about and enjoy each other. They strengthen the bonds that will bring benefits to the rest of our lives. We squander that opportunity when we stick a screen in front of our kids during dinner.
Of course, we all want to have enjoyable family meals, which is why I love Bruce Feiller's book "The Secrets of Happy Families", in which he devotes an entire chapter to ways to make them fun and meaningful for everyone---such as "fill in the blank" sentences you make up. Sharing something good and something challenging makes for pleasant conversations, too. And I've had fun playing Uno with my daughters until the food arrives in a restaurant.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (小儿科）also offers guidelines to help families manage children's screen time. The academy recommends avoiding digital media for children under 2, except for video-chatting, and limiting screen time to just one hour a day of high-quality programming for children ages 2 to 5.
Fundamentally, we all benefit from more human connection, not less — and that's especially true for children. Schools, airplane trips, most jobs, games, even "social" interaction were all once done without screens but now are filled with them. And while we have gained some advantages, including new connections, we have lost something fundamental, as well.
Less is always more when it comes to screens, even if they are effective at keeping kids quiet. But soon after complaining that they are "bored, ” kids have a natural tendency to fill the screenless void （空虚）with creative games, art, exploration and conversation. There are no studies that warn against having too many hours of those activities.
Let's all work harder to keep family meals special by getting rid of the iPads and nourishing our personal connections as we nourish our bodies.
1. What's the author's attitude to the kids' staring at screens during meals?| A．Disapproving. | B．Favorable. |
| C．Cautious. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．Take. | B．Waste. |
| C．Expect. | D．Create. |
| A．Keep quiet. |
| B．Refuse to eat. |
| C．Feel bored all the time. |
| D．Find ways to entertain themselves. |
| A．To introduce the iPads to the children. |
| B．To stress the importance of family meals. |
| C．To appeal for family meals without screens. |
| D．To teach parents how to punish their children. |
