1 . Ice cream is especially popular in the United States. In fact, Americans eat more ice cream than people in any other country. Ice cream is a frozen treat that comes in hundreds of flavors. What’s your favorite flavor? Is it vanilla? That is the most popular flavor by far. Chocolate ranks second in popularity.
Making ice cream is pretty simple. It’s usually made from milk, cream, sugar, and flavorings (调味品). Mix them all together as you freeze them and you get ice cream. As the mixture begins to freeze you can then add fruit, nuts, or chocolate. Soft ice cream is just the ice cream that isn’t fully frozen yet. Some people make ice cream at home in an ice cream mixer, a special kind of home freezer. But nearly all ice cream produced today is made by machines in ice cream factories.
There are many other popular frozen desserts that are similar to ice cream. Sherbet is made from fruit syrup (糖浆) that has milk or egg white added to it. Spumoni is an ice cream with fruits and nuts. Ice milk, also called low-fat ice cream, is a sweetened frozen food made of skimmed milk.
You can even get ice cream made without milk or cream. Soy ice cream and rice ice cream are made without dairy products. They’re made using soy bean milk or rice milk instead.
Ice cream comes in countless flavors. You’ve probably eaten vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Other favorites include strawberry, cherry, peach, butter pecan, and chocolate mint. But have you ever eaten ice cream flavored with garlic or green tea? Some people do. You can even buy ice cream flavored with rose petals.
1. The underlined word “That” in first paragraph refers to “___________”.| A．any ice cream | B．vanilla | C．flavor | D．frozen treat |
| A．We should add nuts after we freeze the mixture. |
| B．Most Americans make their cream at home. |
| C．Soft ice cream isn’t fully frozen. |
| D．Making ice cream isn’t considered to be simple. |
| A．other frozen desserts | B．desserts in America |
| C．ice cream | D．ice cream with milk |
| A．Sherbet. | B．Spumoni. | C．Soft-serve ice cream. | D．Low-fat ice cream. |
2 . A program at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is hoping to fight against loneliness brought on by the pandemic by forming friendships between students and seniors in the community. They’re making it possible through weekly calls.
“It’s been a thing I look forward to every week,” Miranda Savioli, a VCU medical student said.
The program is run by students involved with the American Geriatrics Society and pairs medical and health science students with seniors in the community.
VCU education administrator for the School of Medicine, Chuck Alexander, says it was formed to fight against loneliness and give students valuable interaction with that age group — something that’s been missing since training programs stopped earlier this year. “It’s mostly just social — just chatting,” Alexander said. “A lot of times they just need someone to talk to. A lot of times they feel that they have a connection with someone younger who is just entering a new phase in their career and that they have some wisdom to impart to them — medically and socially as a friend.”
So far, the volunteer program has paired around 40 students with seniors.
Every week, Savioli video calls retiree Joan Kerby, who lives in a retirement community in Henrico.
“It’s a really good connection because in lockdown you really don’t have long conversations with anybody,” Kerby said. Those long conversations soon turned into a visit. The two participants decided to meet in person back in November and Kerby said it was a special moment. “We talked for two hours. We probably could have gone on longer but we had to stop,” Kerby said.
Savioli says they plan to keep the program going, and encourages others to pick up the phone and call a loved one who may be isolated. “It was developed to help seniors with isolation, but mean, we all got isolated during this pandemic,” Savioli said. “It’s been nice to talk to someone every week.” The group has no plans to stop the program. “We’re going to keep the program going and as for Joan and I, we’ve established ourselves as lifelong friends,” Savioli said.
1. What can be learned about the program?| A．It is run by college teachers. | B．It asks students to write to seniors. |
| C．It charges participants for weekly visits. | D．It connects college students with elderly people. |
| A．It should involve families. | B．It should be more professional. |
| C．It reduces students’ training time. | D．It benefits both students and seniors. |
| A．It was boring. | B．It was stressful. | C．It was wonderful. | D．It was humorous. |
| A．Stop face-to-face visits. | B．Reduce conversation time. |
| C．Inspire people to talk to each other. | D．Switch from weekly calls to daily visits. |
3 . He had run for 208 hours and 35 minutes in ten days. So, when Pan Junfan managed to cross the finish line in Guazhou, Gansu Province, on Sept. 18, the tears began to flow.
The 513 kilometers he had completed over rough terrain (地形)in northwestern China would challenge the greatest athletes in the world. The challenge was all the greater for Pan, who pulled off the remarkable feat (功绩) after having part of his right leg amputated (截肢) following a car accident in 2015.
Pan’s challenge was originally the Ultra Gobi, which is considered a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many marathon runners. Unfortunately, the 400-km race was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. After careful consideration, Pan contacted the race’s organizers and they agreed to reschedule the route and allow him to undertake solo challenge.
During the challenge through the Gobi Desert and the Altun Mountains, the 40-year-ad faced temperatures ranging from—20℃ at right to 30°C by day, wild animals and even a hurricane. Carrying a backpack containing the hare minimum of equipment he would need, Pan battled sleep deprivation(缺乏) and very low body temperature during the journey.
Beginning from the “Mars Camp”in Qinghai Province, the ultra extreme course was expanded to more than 500 km over sand dunes (沙丘), dry valleys, stony plateaus and snowy mountains, finishing in Guazhou.
“I hope that by completing the challenge I can inspire people and tell them that life has limitless possibilities and not to stop trying,” Pan said.
In the last few years, Pan has established a dozen firsts for below-the-knee amputees (被截肢者). These included completing the 2018Ironman 70. 3 Xiamen’s 113 km triathlon (铁人三项) in 7 hours and 26 minutes, finishing the Gangshika Xtrial’s 100 km race in 27 hours and 40 minutes, and successfully conquering the Ironman Western Australia in 2019 which involves swimming for 3. 8 km, cycling for180 km and running for 42. 2 km. As a result, he has been dubbed “the Chinese blade runner”.
1. When did Pan Junfan start his 513-kilometer challenging race?| A．On Sept. 3. | B．On Sept. 9. | C．On Sept. 15. | D．On Sept. 19. |
| A．He had part of his left leg removed. | B．He established a hi-tech company. |
| C．He was involved in a traffic accident | D．He participated in the Ironman Australia. |
| A．Losing touch with his team. | B．Getting lost in the desert. |
| C．Having a high fever. | D．Lacking enough sleep. |
| A．Strong-willed. | B．Warm-hearted. | C．Quick-minded. | D．Cold-blooded. |
4 . A study expands positive evidence for a new screening tool that directly engages preschool children during clinic visits to assess their early literacy skills. The tool, called The Reading House (TRH), is the first of its kind. It has the potential to identify reading difficulties as early as possible, according to researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
TRH is an assessment developed by John Hutton and his team for kids aged from 3 to 5. Screening takes just about five minutes and assesses performance levels for kids aged from 3 to 5. It addresses a significant gap in ways to screen early literacy skills efficiently and directly. The tool, which is fun for kids, could be used in places like primary care or preschool settings. The screening measures core skills typically appearing in the preschool age range, including vocabulary, rhyming, alphabet knowledge and print concepts. All are skills predictive of reading success and often associated with reading difficulties.
The study involved 70 healthy children – 34 boys and 36 girls---between 3 and 5 years old from various socioeconomic background. The children completed standardized tests of important literacy skills: vocabulary, rhyming arid rapid automatized naming. Fifty-two of these children also successfully completed MRI (磁共振成像), including the measurement of the gray matter surface of their brains. The thicker cortex (皮质), particularly in left-sided areas supporting language and reading, has been associated with higher skills that are predictive of reading outcomes.
Many children arrive at kindergarten unprepared to learn to read, especially those from minority and economically poor backgrounds---estimated at over 50% of children from disadvantaged backgrounds in the U. S. and over 25% overall. “By screening early during clinic visits, we can target effective interventions that help these children better prepare for kindergarten and improve reading outcomes –literally, snaping thein brains to read. ” said Hutton.
1. What might be the purpose of creating TRH?| A．To identify the best reading apps for kids. |
| B．To develop preschool kids' literacy skills. |
| C．To discover kids' reading problems early. |
| D．To study key factors in kids' development. |
| A．It lacks reliability. | B．It has operational advantages. |
| C．It covers a wider target group. | D．It's modelled after conventional tools. |
| A．Older children from minority groups. |
| B．Younger children from economically advanced areas. |
| C．Children with complex cortical patterns in their brains. |
| D．Children with the thicker cortex in the left-sided areas of their brains. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Favorable. | C．Uncertain. | D．Conservative. |
5 . Last year, brilliant’ botanists from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, discovered, identified and named 114 spectacular new species of plants and fungi (真菌) from around the world. Let’s find out more about some of Kew’s most wonderful new finds.
ROYAL MUSHROOM
NAME: Queen’s hedgehog fungus
FROM: Surrey, England
Named after the late Queen Elizabeth II, this rare fungus was found in an ancient forest in White Down, Surrey. According to the scientists who discovered it, the soft, white needles under the fungus’15cm-wide cap look like hedgehogs’ needles — giving it the second part of its name. Cool!
WORLD’S STRANGEST DAFFODIL
NAME: Sternbergia mishustinii
FROM: Turkey
The flowers of this rare species are bright yellow, but they’re only 2cm long and don't open up into a visible flower. Just 300 of these plants have been discovered, secret to hide them from illegal plant collectors.
RECORD-BREAKING WATERLILY
NAME: Giant Bolivian waterlily
FROM: Bolivia. South America
Check out this huge waterlily — its 3m wide leaves are big enough for a kid to float on! The big species has just won three Guinness World Records for largest waterlily, largest waterlily leaf and largest undivided leaf. And get this — although the giant plant was only named last year, a dried sample has been kept in Kew’s own Herbarium since 1845! Botanists had thought it was a similar, related species. Thankfully, the case of mistaken identity is all cleared up now. Unbe-leaf-able!
1. What’s Queen’s hedgehog fungus like?| A．It has yellow flowers. | B．It’s native to England. |
| C．It looks like hedgehogs. | D．It’s critically endangered. |
| A．The oldest fungi. | B．The biggest leaves. |
| C．The fastest growing plant. | D．The largest waterlily species |
| A．A botanical magazine. | B．A geographic textbook. |
| C．A historical document. | D．Guinness World Records. |
6 . It’s obvious that our society favors the outgoing personality, so being introverted (内向的) has always been seen as something that needs to be “fixed”. However, there is no fault in being introverted.
Introverts have hidden powers.
Introverts also keep the world balanced. In a world that can’t stop talking, the ability to listen to what each other has to say is an important virtue that will assist us in building peaceful relationships of understanding.
Introverts can self-recharge. Though the outgoing may gain their energy through mixing in crowds, introverts are self-recharging powerhouses.
| A．Unluckily, introverts are faced with a big challenge. |
| B．And this is exactly what our introverts are born with. |
| C．Introverts have shown the potential to be great leaders. |
| D．Extroverted people would have no one to listen to them. |
| E．Instead, we should appreciate introverts for various reasons. |
| F．They don’t need to constantly put themselves out there to be lively. |
| G．Just because we introverts don’t say much doesn’t always mean we’re clueless. |
7 . Growing up on a farm, Tori James spent much of her early years outdoors, building shelters and playing in muddy streams. She describes herself as an ambitious, adventurous child who went to bed reading the survival guides that lived on her bedside table. Even so, James says she could never have predicted that, one day, she might be the youngest British woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
Today, James is a professional adventurer. Yet ahead of her first expedition at the age of 18, which she spent mapping the cracks of Iceland’s Vatnajökull glacier with the British Exploring Society, James recalls doubting her ability to last a month out in the cold without the comfort of a hot bath. “It’s only by stepping out of our comfort zone that we understand our true potential,”she explains. “That’s when the magic happens.”
Although James has spent a significant part of her life exploring some of the most remote landscapes in the world, when it comes to traveling, she believes that there are numerous ways for everyone to push their boundaries, other than by undertaking physical challenges. James also encourages would-be adventurers not to be put off by the stereotypical image of the rugged, hardy explorer. “I am such a believer that, with the right support and skills, everyone can bring something to an expedition,” she says.
Sometimes, she adds, it’s only out in the field that someone’s hidden talents emerge. A diverse team can be key to a successful trip, particularly given the role of exploration in today’s world. “Historically, exploration has been about people finding nature’s hardest obstacles and trying to either overcome them, or beat them,” says James. “But now, for me at least, exploration is about connecting, not conquering. It’s about our connection to the living world around us, it’s about sharing its importance once we’ve returned and it’s about figuring out how to do adventure sustainably.”
1. What do we know about James?| A．She was once doubted to be a professional adventurer. |
| B．She enjoys reading thrilling adventure survival stories. |
| C．She was a child with big dreams and a desire for exploration. |
| D．She might be the youngest woman to conquer Mount Everest. |
| A．Few ways are there for us to push our boundaries. |
| B．Future explorers are supposed to venture bravely. |
| C．Exploring remote landscapes in the world is of significance. |
| D．Support and skills are sure to bring out the best of explorers. |
| A．To make the most of people’s hidden talent. |
| B．To overcome the possible hardest obstacles. |
| C．To figure out how to have a successful adventure. |
| D．To engage in sustainable interactions with nature. |
| A．Born to Be Adventurers. | B．Connecting the Living World. |
| C．James’s Amazing Expeditions. | D．Adventurer James’s Travel Insights. |
8 . Tips to Exercise When It’s Really Hot Outside
Exercising in the fresh air might seem like a good idea.
Drink promptly (及时地). Regardless of how fit we are, exercising outside will pose a significant danger to our body when it’s hot. Drinking water is probably the most basic part of exercising in the sun.
Dress appropriately. Wear material that will help our body breathe. Consider wearing light colored clothing.
| A．Choose the right time to exercise. |
| B．Drink as much water as possible. |
| C．So be sure to take enough water with us. |
| D．That’s not to say we can’t exercise in the midday. |
| E．Light colors absorb less heat than darker colors. |
| F．Overall, the key to exercising is to listen to our body. |
| G．It’s dangerous, however, to exercise outside in hot weather. |
9 . Fish farming is the fastest-growing form of food production worldwide. Seafood accounts for around 17% of the world’s protein intake. It’s estimated that global consumption of fish will reach 180m tonnes by the end of the decade. The World Bank thinks that 90% of the world’s fisheries are being fished over their capacity. Aquaculture (水产养殖) has therefore accounted for nearly all the growth in fish consumption since 1990. It’ll account for almost all the growth to come, too.
As with farming on land though, aquaculture has some problems. Many farmed fish are grown in net pens (网栏) either in rivers or the open ocean. Uneaten food and fish waste can pollute surrounding waters. When net pens break, escaped farmed fish can damage the local ecosystem. Inland “flow-through” farms require continuous streams of fresh water from rivers, competing with those who might need to drink it.
Therefore, newer fish farms, like Salten Smolt, came into being. They adopt a technology called RAS (recirculating aquaculture systems). Rather than relying on a constant flow of water to keep fish healthy, a RAS farm grows fish on land in tanks whose water is continuously cleaned and recycled. Standard salmon farming consumes about 50,000 litres of water for each kilogram of salmon produced. A RAS farm might need just 150 litres. Besides, it takes better care of the fish, and allows picky species to be raised anywhere. However, the pipes, pumps and monitoring systems mean that costs are higher. And these systems need to be monitored regularly by skilled personnel in case of a loss.
The RAS tanks are climate-controlled tanks, which can provide ideal temperature, without the need to worry about terrible weather. Reel Data, a company in Nova Scotia, uses data from cameras and sensors in tanks to estimate how hungry fish are, how much they weigh and even how stressed they are. The firm says the technology can raise its productivity by up to 20%.
For now, the RAS farm remains small fry (鱼苗). Just as Kathrin Steinberg, head of research at the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, said, less than 5% of the farms certified by her organization make use of it. But with the world’s demand for fish rising rapidly, she believes that market share will definitely grow soon.
1. What does the author highlight in Paragraph 1?| A．The benefit of consuming seafood. | B．The rapid development of fisheries. |
| C．The difficulty of increasing food production. | D．The significance of developing aquaculture. |
| A．They may bring about a waste of land. | B．They may lead to declined fish diversity. |
| C．They may cause environmental concerns. | D．They may struggle to meet local demand. |
①expense-saving ②water efficient ③flexible site selection ④fewer disease outbreaks
⑤highly productive ⑥complete auto-monitoring system
| A．①②④⑤ | B．②④⑤⑥ | C．①③④⑥ | D．②③④⑤ |
| A．The future of fish farming is on land | B．We will have more choices for our dinner |
| C．The global seafood consumption is on the rise | D．We will witness a great reform in food production |
10 . In late 2017, California-based fine arts photographer Norma Quintana was planning a trip down to her native Puerto Rico to document Hurricane Maria’s destruction. Instead, she and her family found themselves caught in another natural disaster much closer to home. Beginning in early October, the Atlas Fire swept through Napa County and lasted weeks. When Quintana and her family were finally able to return to their property, everything was gone: her home of nearly 30 years, her studio, her photographs, her prints and her collection of over 100 cameras.
Ever an artist at heart, she began photographing the remains of her home and possessions. Those photos would eventually become a series, Forage from Fire. Now, the project can be viewed as part of “Fire Transforms”, a new exhibition at the Palo Alto Art Center. The exhibition mainly explores the following themes: living with fire, learning with fire, and creating with fire. It features photography, paintings, ceramics (陶瓷), sculptures, textiles (纺织品) and digital media.
One of the artists on the exhibition is Linda Gass, a textile artist and environmental activist, who sewed a map of the damage from the 2013 Rim Fire, the largest recorded fire in the Sierra Nevada. Brian Fies’ A Fire Story is a graphic (图表的) novel and an account of the artist’s losing his home in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, along with 6,000 others. At the time, it was California’s most destructive fire, though the Camp Fire in 2018 would be worse.
“Art offers a safe place of comfort after the firestorm has passed,” says Rina Faletti, who is in charge of the exhibition. “How can we learn to transform our fear, sadness, loss, anger and confusion into something more comforting and clear? How can we rest from climate change, even as we face the real losses that fire causes in the face of global change? Thankfully, we have artists to help us.”
1. What happened to Quintana in October 2017?| A．She lost her family members forever. |
| B．Her home and belongings were destroyed by a fire. |
| C．Her trip to Puerto Rico was interrupted by a hurricane. |
| D．She failed to achieve her dream of becoming a photographer. |
| A．It mainly deals with seven central themes. |
| B．It is part of a series called Forage from Fire. |
| C．It covers a wide range of artworks and media. |
| D．It is an annual exhibition at the Palo Alto Art Center. |
| A．Both are known as environmental activists. |
| B．Both recorded wildfires through their works. |
| C．Both played a key role in the 2017 Tubbs Fire. |
| D．Both experienced the 2013 Rim Fire first-hand. |
| A．The role of art in fighting climate change. |
| B．The permanent losses that fire has caused. |
| C．The progress we’ve made on controlling fire. |
| D．The influence of artists on preventing global change. |
