1 . Atomic shapes are so simple that they can’t be broken down any further. Mathematicians are trying to turn to artificial intelligence (AI) for help to build a periodic table of these shapes, hoping it will assist in finding yet-unknown atomic shapes.

Tom Coates at Imperial College London and his colleagues are working to classify atomic shapes known as Fano varieties, which are so simple that they can’t be broken down into smaller components. Just as chemists arranged element s in the periodic table by their atomic weight and group to reveal new insights, the researchers hope that organizing these atomic shapes by their various properties will help in understanding them.

The team has given each atomic shape a sequence of numbers based on its features such as the number of holes it has or the extent to which it bends around itself. This acts as a bar code (条形码) to identify it. Coates and his colleagues have now created an AI that can predict certain properties of these shapes from their bar code numbers alone, with an accuracy of 98 percent.

The team member Alexander Kasprzyk at the University of Nottingham, UK, says that the AI has let the team organize atomic shapes in a way that begins to follow the periodic table, so that when you read from left to right, or up and down, there seem to be general patterns in the geometry (几何) of the shapes.

Graham Nib lo at the University of Southampton, UK, stresses that humans will still need to understand the results provided by AI and create proofs of these ideas. “AI has definitely got unbelievable abilities. But in the same way that telescopes (望远镜) don’t put astronomers out of work, AI doesn’t put mathematicians out of work,” he says. “It just gives us new backing that allows us to explore parts of the mathematical landscape that are out of reach.”

The team hopes to improve the model to the point where missing spaces in its periodic table could point to the existence of unknown shapes.

1. What is the purpose of building a periodic table of shapes?

A．To gain deeper insights into the atomic shapes.

B．To create an AI to predict the unknown shapes.

C．To break down atomic shapes into smaller parts.

D．To arrange chemical elements in the periodic table.

2. What can the bar code of each atomic shape tell us?

A．Its holes.	B．Its bends.
C．Its atomic weight.	D．Its properties.

3. What does the underlined word “backing” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Design.

B．Help.

C．Duty.

D．Threat.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Thanks to AI, new atomic shapes have been discovered.

B．Mathematicians turn to AI to create more atomic shapes.

C．AI helps build a relationship between chemistry and maths.

D．A periodic table of shapes can be built with the help of AI.

2 . How to Design a Small Garden

Even if you don’t have a large area in your yard, you can still make a beautiful garden that maximizes the space you have by following tips.

    1    . Look for a place in your yard where you can see your garden from a window or a spot in your yard so that you’re able to enjoy it. Make sure you can walk into your garden with ease to make it easier to take care of your plants.     2    .

Plan the layout for your garden by drawing the outline on the paper. Start by sketching longer rectangles（矩形）for your garden beds so they’re to scale for the actual size you want them.     3    . Be sure to leave an 18-inch space between garden beds so you can easily walk between them and care for your plants.

Arrange your design so there are focal points. Aim to have several aspects of your garden design unique so they stand out from the rest of your plants.     4    . Take into consideration where you want people to focus or have their attention drawn to when they look at your garden, and plan your design around those spots. Focal points help your garden feel more inviting and make it more visually pleasing.

Put similar plants across from one another to create rhythm and symmetry(对称). Rather than put different plants in each of your garden beds, choose to use the same plant or ones that have similar textures or colors so they’re across from one another.     5    .

A．And avoid any inconvenience caused by difficult access

B．Try to position smaller plants in between larger ones

C．Pick a place where you can easily get to your garden

D．You may still be able to measure the length of the rectangles

E．Then divide the rectangles into smaller sections for different plants

F．This could be a statue or a fountain placed in the center or on either side

G．That way, when you look at your garden, it will look inviting and make the area feel more balanced

3 . Fresh fish should have a mild smell. Strong fishy smells are the first signs to go bad. How do the fishy smells come from?

It can be several days from when the fish are caught to when they reach the supermarket. In that time, bacteria that grow naturally in fish start to consume a substance called trimethylamine N-oxide(TMAO)in fish. These bacteria change TMAO into trimethylamine (TMA), the substance responsible for the fishy smells. Bacteria in fish can also change lysine(赖氨酸)into cadaverine(尸胺), a substance that’s associated with breaking down the fish once they are caught and giving off fishy smell.

Chemical reactions can also lead to fishy smells. This happens through the oxidation(氧化)of fat. Fish are an important source of omega-3 fatty acids. When these fats are exposed to oxygen, they oxidize and break down into the substance that you can smell.

To slow down the fishy smell, what is beyond question is that the less time between when the fish are caught and when they reach the kitchen, the better. But today, fish are often flown across the globe. To keep smell-producing bacteria at bay, the fish must be frozen or kept at the low temperature possible as soon as they are caught and cleaned.

Controlling fat oxidation can function as well, especially for fattier fish species. While freezing slows bacterial growth, it does not stop fat oxidation. This reaction will occur as long as oxygen is present. Fatty fish are usually not frozen because, despite the cold temperature, they’re going to oxidize pretty fast unless they are stored in a low oxygen container. That’s why those species are often canned.

It’s also important to remember that smell is not always an indicator of safety, especially in processed fish products. “What you might consider the fishy smell may be a delicacy in another culture,” said Carl A. Batt, a professor of food science at Cornell University.

1. Which of the following has the fishy smell?

A．Fish fat.

B．TMAO.

C．Cadaverine.

D．Lysine.

2. What is the best way to reduce the fishy smell of fat fish species?

A．Drying them in the air.	B．Storing them in closed containers.
C．Carefully cleaning them.	D．Exposing them to rich oxygen.

3. What is Carl A. Batt’s attitude to the fishy smell?

A．Objective.

B．Negative.

C．Acceptable.

D．Unclear.

4. How is the text organized?

A．Topic—Example—Conclusion.	B．Topic—Comparison—Opinion.
C．Question——Cause——Solution.	D．Question—Effect—Opinion.