3 . Much like our guts (内脏), cities too have various types of microorganisms (微生物) that grow in the environment. And, much like analyzing the microorganisms in our guts can show important details about our physical condition, doing the same thing with a city’s microorganisms can help us understand data on the kinds of bacteria and other small life forms that are living alongside urban people.

While it’s possible to use human researchers to collect data on a city’s microorganisms, that kind of field research can be costly, difficult, and time-consuming. In 2010, honeybees in Brooklyn visited a nearby cherry factory, producing bright-red honey. This caused researchers to examine what other things New York’s honeybees were bringing back to their hives. It struck the researchers that this might be an easier way to collect microorganisms than to search for them on subway poles or sidewalks. So in a new study, researchers decided to seek help from the honeybee, which spends its days exploring cities all over the world, to learn about the urban microenvironments.

The team analyzed hive debris (碎片) from around the world and had some interesting findings. In Sydney, the hive debris showed DNA from microorganisms that can break down rubber, while in Melbourne, a significant amount of DNA from eucalyptus, a kind of tree originally from Australia, appeared at the bottom of hives. And the hive debris from Venice had microorganisms commonly found in rotting wood.

The analysis of Tokyo hives not only found DNA from local unique microorganisms, but also showed the presence of a microorganism that can cause disease among humans. This finding led the team to believe that using bees to learn about urban environments might be a great way to track the spread of human diseases.

While the study is still at the initial stage and it remains to be seen whether honeybees will help scientists find diseases or help city planners make cities greener one day, the insects’ great promise as little research helpers is obvious.

1. What does the author want to express in the first paragraph?

A．The significance of studying microorganisms in cities.

B．The role of small life forms in urban ecosystems.

C．The relationship between microorganisms and human health.

D．The similarities of microorganisms in our guts and those in cities.

2. Why did researchers turn to honeybees for help?

A．They are skilled at exploring remote places.

B．They are willing to be close to human researchers.

C．They can collect cities’ microorganisms in a productive way.

D．They have a natural talent for recognizing microorganisms.

3. What does the new study find out?

A．Bees in Venice primarily feed on rotting wood.

B．Hive debris from diverse places has unique DNA material.

C．Bees in Melbourne have the ability to break down rubber.

D．Bees exhibit different living habits based on their living places.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Honeybees Can Help Analyze DNA from Microorganisms

B．Microorganisms are Significant to Human Health

C．Honeybees Reveal Urban Microorganisms through Hive Debris

D．Urban Microenvironment’s Richness is Beyond our Imagination

6 . Different countries celebrate festivals in their own unique ways. The same goes for the New Year. Let’s take a look at some unique New Year traditions from around the world.

Smashing (打碎) plates

If you walked out of your front door to find a load of smashed plates, you might be a bit confused. But that’s exactly what people in Denmark hope to find after midnight, as it represents good luck. Danish people go and smash a plate in front of a friend’s door on New Year’s Eve to bring good luck over the next 12 months.

Dropping things

In New York City, Times Square is the centre of the countdown to midnight. But the thing that everyone is looking forward to is called the “ball drop”, which is when a glowing (发光的) ball is lowered down a big flag pole (旗杆), marking the start of the New Year. Other cities in America now have their own traditions of dropping things on New Year’s Eve. For example, in Vincennes, Indiana, people drop watermelons from high places.

Eating grapes

When the clocks hit midnight in Spain, you’ll find people reaching for grapes. This is because there is a tradition of eating one grape each time the clock strikes midnight. The idea is that this will bring people 12 lucky months in the year ahead.

Walking with an empty suitcase

In some South American countries like Colombia, you might see some people on New Year’s Eve walking around with an empty suitcase. Some hold the belief that taking a “suitcase walk” means they will have a year full of adventures.

1. Why do Danish smash plates on New Year’s Eve?

A．To have fun.	B．To honor a poet.
C．To celebrate the harvest.	D．To bring good luck.

2. What do Spanish do when the clocks hit midnight on New Year’s Eve?

A．They exchange gifts.	B．They eat grapes.
C．They dress up as bears.	D．They drop halls from high places.

3. Which country has the tradition of carrying empty suitcases on New Year’s Eve?

A．Denmark.

B．USA.

C．Colombia.

D．Spain.

7 . Researchers have designed a hand-held device that can obtain and change water molecules (分子) from the air into drinkable water using only surrounding sunlight as its energy source.

This atmospheric water harvester (大气层水分收集器) used an ultra-porous (超多孔的) material, known as a metal-organic framework (MOF). It can obtain water repeatedly in the hottest and driest place in North America, Death Valley National Park. The tests showed the device could provide clean water anywhere, addressing an urgent problem, as climate change speeds up drought conditions.

“Almost one-third of the world’s population lives in water-stressed areas. The UN predicts that almost 5 billion people on our planet will experience some kind of water stress for a significant part of the year 2050,”said Omar Yaghi. He is the Berkeley chemistry professor who invented MOFs and is leading this study. “It is very important to take advantage of a new source for water.”

Other kinds of materials, such as salts or hydrogels (水凝胶), cannot operate in extreme weather conditions in an energy-efficient manner. The new MOF-powered harvesters can be a powerful tool to address water shortage issues related to anything from drinking water to agriculture. This technology can also be used to obtain pure water in areas where water is plentiful but not clean.

It’s also extremely efficient at harvesting water, releasing 85 to 90 percent of the water it obtains. It harvested up to 285 grams of water per kilogram of the metal-organic framework in a day, the amount of a cup of water. It’s also smaller than the earlier type but it is even more energy-efficient. It produced 200 grams of clean water per square meter of water vapor, more than three times the water productivity rate of the earlier type.

There will likely be further developments in efficiency and size for this device. Yaghi said, “He can see one day the widespread adoption of household-based MOF-powered water harvesters and community-scale (社区规模的) water harvesters with the help of data science and machine learning. Those can be in kitchens or even next to air conditioners to supply homes with clean water for cooking and cleaning. And some companies are already working on this.”

1. What can we say about the new hand-held device?

A．It helps clean the air.	B．It can handle water pollution.
C．It is only suitable in dry areas.	D．It can run without additional power sources.

2. What does the author intend to do in the third paragraph?

A．To stress the fact of water shortage.

B．To show the necessity of the harvester.

C．To show the increasing population in water-stressed areas.

D．To warn against the harm caused by climate change.

3. How much water can we get using a harvester with two kilograms of the MOF daily?

A．About 570 grams.	B．About 513 grams.
C．About 400 grams.	D．About 360 grams.

4. Which of the following statements about the MOF-powered harvester may Yaghi agree with?

A．It will be easier to use in the future.	B．It will function best in the kitchen.
C．It will have huge market potential.	D．It will help promote technologies in AI.

8 . People have mainly used cars or taxis to travel from one place to another. These forms of land transportation have their constraints. Time has been wasted simply because of the traffic on the road. Well, this issue may be solved soon because a company has made a taxi that can actually fly and avoid the crowded streets.

XPeng, a Chinese carmaker, has created this wonderful innovation and conducted the first global public flight of its electric flying car, the XPeng X2, in Dubai. XPeng Motors’ X2 is a two-seater vehicle featuring a teardrop-shaped design with a complete carbon fiber structure to reduce weight. It can travel as high as 1,000 meters and at a speed of 81 miles per hour. At this point, the built-in battery can store electricity for a 35 -minute flight.

The XPeng X2 used during the demo flight (试飞) is a fifth-generation model, but the company is currently working on the sixth generation that will bring significant upgrades.The future model will be equipped with both manned and unmanned flight driving modes, and will be able to drive in the air and on roads — the fifth-generation vehicle is only capable of flying, not driving.

This first ever public flight came with full support of Dubai’s government. They have been deeply involved in the process. An official called Hashemi said, “The first global public flight of the X2 flying car will change the game of future mobility. The flying car is the combination of ambition, innovation and future-oriented vision that has always inspired Dubai and its leadership. Today, we witnessed a historic moment that will define the next 50 years.”

1. What does the underlined word “constraints” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Risks.

B．Rules.

C．Duties.

D．Shortcomings.

2. What can we learn about the “XPeng X2”?

A．It can generate electricity.	B．It can travel 81 miles at a time.
C．It will come onto the market soon.	D．It will provide different driving modes.

3. How did Hashemi feel after watching the demo-light?

A．Thrilled.

B．Shocked.

C．Relaxed.

D．Disappointed.

4. What is the main idea of this text?

A．A new vehicle has won Dubai’s support.

B．A Chinese carmaker is devoted to innovation.

C．A new way to solve traffic problems is found.

D．A flying vehicle has made its first demo flight.

9 . Fluency is the rate at which the child reads. Fluent readers take note of things like question marks and adjust their voice. Their expression sounds natural, and their voice is not as flat as they read. Children who are fluent readers make their reading sound like talking.     1     Here are some ways to improve your children’s fluency.

First, it’s important to choose “just right” books. They will struggle to read books that are too difficult, spending their time trying to figure out unfamiliar words.     2     If a child is struggling with fluency, consider having him read books that are easy.

    3     It’s important to discuss what fluent reading sounds like but even better actually to set an example for your children. This can help your children understand what you mean when you ask them to use the expression more smoothly. Another choice is to have children listen to audiobooks to hear what fluent reading sounds like.

Children can improve their fluency through whispering phones. They are like pretend telephones that children read into. When children read into such phones, they can hear themselves well and use that feedback to think about their expression and reading rate.     4    

Use choral reading (合唱式阅读). This occurs when a group of children reads something together, saying the words at the same time. You might read the text out loud by yourself first.     5     Then you can read it together, with them matching your pace and expression.

A．This causes fluency to break down.

B．Give your children materials to listen to.

C．Many children also find choral reading useful.

D．Model for children how reading should sound.

E．Children can hear how the reading should sound.

F．Many children find it’s quite interesting to use them.

G．Their reading sounds effortless, much like carrying on a conversation.