1 . How to stop glasses fogging up with a face mask

Wearing a mask keeps you safe during the pandemic, but it come with its own set of challenges. And, one of the biggest drawbacks of wearing a mask is how much your glasses fog up and affect your vision. Taking off your glasses to wipe them clean each time it fogs up is not only frustrating, but it can also increase the risk of infection.     1     Here are some tricks to stop it.

Twist your mask strings.

From the side, once you twist it, the strings will look like the figure eight. This is great for stopping fogging because it redirects your breath by putting slight downward pressure on the top part of the mask.     2     This may leave you infected by virus.

    3    

If you wash your glasses with soap, this creates a thin film on your lenses which limits fogging. Use a fragrance-free soap and mix it with warm water. Put your glasses in it and let it air dry. When you wear your glasses next, soap molecules on your lenses should block fogging.

Use tissues.

You can put a tissue under the top part of the mask.     4     To do this DIY trick properly, you should fold a tissue in half and place the straight edge along the bridge of your nose.

Change the position of your masks and glasses.

    5     But if you do this there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, you need to make sure that your mask still covers your chin(下巴)after you pull it up. And, if your prescription is stronger, this trick could impact your vision and cause increased blurriness.

A．Put glasses in the water.

B．Wash your glasses with soap.

C．It will help catch air and damp, keeping your glasses free of fog.

D．So the key is to prevent or minimize fogging due to face masks.

E．Cover your chin with masks to prevent need for repositioning when talking.

F．Though, it’s worth noting that it does create a slight gap between the mask and your face.

G．Pull up your mask and draw your glasses down, blocking your breath from rising upwards.

2 . Have you ever walked through a door and thought to yourself, “What was I going to do?” If you have, you are not alone. Psychologists believe that walking through a door and entering another room creates a “mental block” in the brain. This is generally referred to as the doorway effect.

In the early years of brain research, scientists thought that human memory was like a closet, with many sections in which we could store little boxes of experiences from our lives. Boxes would remain there forever, and whenever we had to look into them, we could just go to that particular section and find that box of memory.

Beautiful as this description of human memory formation sounds, it is not true. Our brain is much more complex than that. Psychological studies suggest that our memories are episodic(情节性的)in general. If you think back on anything, you’ll probably quickly realize our memories don’t function as clear narratives. Instead, they’re more episodic and divided into parts.

A new research led by psychologist Oliver Baumann from Bond University in Australia suggests that it’s not so much the doorways that cause a memory wipe, as moving from one location to a significantly different one—it’s the abrupt change of scene that prepares our minds for something new. “A good example is moving around in a department store,” says Baumann, “Taking the elevator between floors may have no effect on our memory, but moving from the store to the parking lot might cause us to forget something that we need to buy.”

Baumann also points out that a busy and perhaps overloaded brain does seem to play some part in this phenomenon. In other words, walking through open doors is thought to reset memory to make room for a new episode.

The good news is that experiencing such forgettable episodes after entering another room does not tell you anything about your memory and intelligence. So when you enter a room and suddenly forget why you are there, you should not think that Alzheimer’s disease is creeping up on you!

1. Which of the following would most probably be “doorway effect”?

A．You missed a call and forgot to ring back.

B．You read a book and forget what it is about.

C．You entered the office and forgot what to get.

D．You saw a man years ago and forget who he is now.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．All memories are linked in the brain.

B．Memories are clearly separated in the brain.

C．Not all the memories can be found in the brain.

D．Memories are stored in particular sections of the brain.

3. What can we infer from Baumann’s research?

A．Taking an elevator stimulates new memory.

B．Walking through open doors results in memory loss.

C．A sudden change of the scene boosts intelligence development.

D．An overloaded brain increases the possibility of doorway effect.

4. What does the author think of “doorway effect”?

A．Insignificant.	B．Beneficial.
C．Influential.	D．Damaging.

3 . Scientists have solved a puzzle about modern humans, after research showed that a famous skull of a human ancestor found in South Africa is a million years older than experts thought. This discovery has changed what we know of human history.

The skull, which scientists have named “Mrs Ples”, is from an ape-like human relative from a species called Australopithecus africanus (南方古猿). It was found near Johannesburg in 1947 and, based on evidence from its surroundings, was thought to be between 2. 1 and 2. 6 million years old. This puzzled scientists, because although Mrs Ples looks like a possible early ancestor of early humans, the first true humans had already evolved by the time she apparently lived. For this reason, scientists had decided that Australopithecus afarensis, a similar species from East Africa that lived about 3.5 million years ago, was our most likely ancestor instead.

To get a more accurate age for Mrs Ples, a team led by Professor Darryl Granger of Purdue University in Indiana, US, used a new method to date the sandy rocks where the skull lay. They measured the amount of certain chemicals in rocks, which form at a steady rate when they are exposed to cosmic rays (宇宙射线) on Earth’s surface. Once rocks are buried, these chemicals stop forming and slowly disappear;the surviving amount reveals how much time has passed since the rock (or bones) were on the surface.

The new study shows that Mrs Ples and other australopithecine bones nearby are between 3.4 and 3.7 million years old. This means they lived at the same time as their East African relatives, so that either group could have given rise to modern humans. However, team member Dr Laurent Bruxelles pointed out that over millions of years, at only 2,500 miles away, these groups had plenty of time to travel and to breed with each other. In other words, the groups could quite easily have met, had children together and both been part of the history of modern humans.

1. What can we learn about Mrs Ples from the first two paragraphs?

A．It is a skull found in East Africa.

B．It is the most possible ancestor of humans.

C．It is a million years older than scientists expected.

D．It is proved to live between 2.1 and 2.6 million years ago.

2. How did scientists get the accurate age of “Mrs Ples”?

A．By studying the effect of cosmic rays.

B．By calculating the forming rate of chemicals.

C．By locating the sandy rocks where the skull lay.

D．By measuring the surviving amount of chemicals.

3. What can we infer from the new study?

A．Modern humans came into being in East Africa.

B．Mrs Ples travelled and had children with East African relatives.

C．The history of modern humans might begin 3.5 million years ago.

D．Ape-like species from Africa could have interacted with each other.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．Historical Puzzle Unsolved	B．Ancestor Mystery Solved
C．Mrs Ples: The Earliest Human Being	D．Mrs Ples: A Famous Skull

4 . Born on her family’s farm in Ray, North Dakota, Mary Sherman Morgan had been helping her father with farm work before she could attend the small-town schoolhouse. Being a few years behind didn’t hold her back and she graduated from high school with honors. Aware of her intelligence, she ran away from Ray to attend Minot State University as a chemistry major, where her skill was evident.

The outbreak of World War II resulted in a national shortage of chemists and scientists. In spite of the fact that she was still a student and a woman, she was offered a job as a chemical analyst due to her talents, producing explosives(爆炸物)for the wartime effort. She put her degree on hold and moved to Ohio, taking on the dangerous job of analyzing unstable chemicals to produce weapons.

After the war ended there was a fall in demand for explosives, so she made a move to the field of aeronautics, moving to California to work for NAA(North American Aviation). The only woman out of 900 engineers, she was soon promoted to a role which involved calculating the performance of rocket propellants(推进剂)and designing speciality fuels to work with different engines. However, never having returned to complete her degree, she was not afforded the rank or higher pay of an engineer, even though she had all the skills and knowledge of one.

Her experience with propellants meant that when NAA was tasked to find a fuel capable of lifting the redesigned Redstone missiles into space, Mogan was appointed technical lead on the project. National pride was on the line, so Morgan set about investigating fuels. After countless trails, she finally designed her own mixture, which was named Hydyne.

Hydyne tested well with the Redstone missiles and subsequently other aircraft(飞行器), such as Jupiter-C rockets, proving to be a quick solution to getting to space without a total rocket redesign. The fuel made the first successful US satellite launch possible, even if Morgan silently slipped away from her success, retiring to focus on her family and leaving her chemistry career behind.

1. What do we know about Mary?

A．She attended school while helping with farm work.

B．She was offered a job as a chemistry analyst after graduation.

C．She shifted her working focus as the domestic demand changed.

D．She launched the first US satellite before retiring from her career.

2. What does the underlined word “aeronautics” probably mean?

A．Analyzing chemicals.	B．Producing explosives.
C．Mixing and saving fuels.	D．Designing and building aircraft.

3. What made Mary the technical lead on the project of NAA?

A．Her discovery of Hydyne.	B．Her rank as an engineer.
C．Her special knowledge in fuels.	D．Her sense of national pride.

4. Which of the following words can best describe Mary Sherman Morgan?

A．Caring and determined.	B．Courageous and creative.
C．Intelligent but sensitive.	D．Accomplished but proud.

5 . BACK TO SCHOOL BOOK GUIDE

Going back to school can involve lots of new things, including uniforms, topics, teachers, and friends. So why not try some new books as well and maybe find your new favourite author too. Whether you want to learn about protecting wildlife, discover some amazing weather facts, or dive into an action-packed spy mission, this back to school book guide has something for you. Click here to get a discount.

While the Storm Rages
by Phil Earle

A page-turning adventure to make you laugh and cry. Noah and his friends fight to save animals from being put down at the outbreak of WWII. An exciting wartime novel that packs an emotional punch from the bestselling author of When the Sky Falls.

Grimwood: Let the Fur Fly!
Written & illustrated by Nadia Shireen

A funny and silly new Grimwood adventure! Fox cub siblings Ted and Nancy love their new life in Grimwood. But the cruel mayor of Twinklenuts is on a mission to take it over and kick everyone out. Can Grimwood’s treebonking skills save the home they love? A must-read for Dog Man and David Walliams fans.

Alice Eclair, Spy Extraordinaire!
by Sarah Todd Taylor

Baker by day, spy by night—Alice Eclair leads an exciting double life! A mysterious message sends Alice on a mission aboard France’s most fascinating train. She must uncover an enemy agent while baking desserts, armed only with her whisk, wits, and will to succeed.

Weather, Camera, Action
by Liam Dutton

Discover hurricanes, dust storms, volcanic lightening and more, all through the camera lens of TV weather presenter and world-famous meteorologist(气象学家)Liam Dutton. This adventure through the atmosphere shows off the splendor of our skies in their wildest and most dramatic states and uncovers the science behind weather events.

1. Which of the books might interest animal protectors most?

A．While the Storm Rages.	B．Grimwood: Let the Fur Fly!
C．Alice Eclair, Spy Extraordinaire!	D．Weather, Camera, Action.

2. What might be included in the book Weather, Camera, Action?

A．How the atmosphere was formed.	B．What the sky looks like in storms.
C．How to be a famous meteorologist.	D．What to present in a weather forecast.

3. Where is the passage probably taken from?

A．A website.	B．A brochure.
C．A magazine.	D．A guide book.

6 . A new study published on Monday in the journal Pediatrics points out that many YouTube channels are targeting young children with thinly veiled (掩饰的) ads for junk food.

The study analyzed over 400 YouTube videos featuring so-called kid influencers—children with large social media followings. The study found about 90 percent of the foods in the YouTube videos were unhealthy items decorated with fast food logos.

A spokeswoman for YouTube said the company has “invested significantly in the creation of the YouTube Kids app, a destination made specifically for kids to explore their imagination and curiosity on a range of topics, such as healthy habits.” She added, “We don’t allow paid promotional content and have clear guidelines restricting categories like food from advertising on the app.” However, studies show that young children are unable to distinguish between commercials and cartoons and are more likely to prefer unhealthy foods after seeing advertisements for them.

Experts say it is not just an advertising issue but a public health concern. Childhood obesity rates have skyrocketed in recent years: Nearly 20 percent of American children between the ages of2 and 19 are obese, up from 5.5 percent in the mid 1970s. Marie Bragg, an assistant professor of public health and nutrition was prompted to study the phenomenon after she noticed her young kids obsessively (着迷地) watching YouTube videos of “kidfluencers” like Ryan Kaii, the 9-year-old star of Ryan’s World, a YouTube channel with 27 million subscribers. The channel, run by Ryan’s parents, features thousands of videos of him excitedly reviewing new toys and games and going on fun trips to stores.

“These videos are unbelievably powerful,” said Josh Golin, the executive director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. “Very busy parents may take a look at them and think that it’s just a cute kid talking enthusiastically about some product and not realize that it’s often part of a deliberate strategy to get their children excited about toys, or in the case of this study, unhealthy food.”

1. Which of the following contents may be found on YouTube Kids?

A．Art works.	B．Potato chips.
C．Soft drinks.	D．Ambiguous.

2. What is mainly talked about in paragraph 4?

A．Children’s health has now drawn experts’ attention.

B．Children has become more interested in advertisements.

C．Children’s obesity is closely related to junk food marketing.

D．Children are advised to stay away from kidfluencers’ videos.

3. What is Josh Golin’ attitude towards the kidinfluencers’ videos?

A．Positive.	B．Negative.
C．Neutral.	D．Chocolate bars.

7 . How to Get More Time in a Day

Do you feel like there are never enough hours in a day? Are you always behind on your tasks? If so, here are some tips to help you take control of your time.

    1     Writing down the things you need to get done removes the stress of trying to keep track of them mentally. What’s more, it will be easier to make a plan to address your tasks.

When making your to-do list, be aware of unrealistic expectations. If your list is too long, you’ll feel discouraged when you can’t get through it.     2     Decide what absolutely needs to be done that day and what can be put off to the next. Chances are that putting some duties off to the near future won’t bring any serious consequences.

Once you have your list, attack it one item at a time. Many people believe that performing multiple tasks simultaneously (同时地) saves time, but in truth multitasking takes 30 percent longer than doing things one by one.    3    

The next step is to find ways to use time more wisely. Plenty of time each day is spent texting or emailing, so imagine how much time we’d save if we just called people instead.    4         It’s faster than typing, and it’s often easier to grasp someone’s meaning when we can hear their voice.

At the end of the day, it’s important to give your mind and body a chance to rest. Take breaks to stop, breathe, and clear your thoughts, and don’t let mounting duties prevent you from getting enough sleep.    5    

A．You can begin by making a to-do list.

B．The solution is to prioritize (优先处理).

C．Speaking over the phone is more efficient.

D．Only when you remove such activities can you feel refreshed.

E．Now go forth and treat your time like the valuable product it is!

F．Besides, people tend to make more mistakes when they multitask.

G．Though they may feel enjoyable, they have few long-term benefits.

8 . Devon—A three-year-old labradoodle named Digby has been praised after he saved a woman who was thinking of taking her own life on a bridge.

Digby is an Australian labradoodle, a type of dog, whose hypoallergenic (低致敏性的) coat is less likely to start allergic reactions in those he communicates with. He was hired by the fire service in 2018 not for his ability to remove bombs but to relieve stress and anxiety among firefighters who had attended unpleasant call-outs. He also works with vulnerable (脆弱的) people in the community as part of a “pets for therapy” programme.

So when the emergency services were called to a vulnerable woman on a motorway bridge, a firefighter had the bright idea to take Digby along.

“We were at the incident as part of a multi-agency response. Police negotiators were speaking with the woman but the situation was becoming increasingly worrying. When Digby arrived, the young woman immediately swung her head round to look, and smiled,” said a spokesman for Devon and Somerset fire service. “This got a conversation started. The woman was asked if she would like to come and meet Digby if she came back over the railings (金属栏杆), which we are pleased to say she did. It was Digby who eventually got her out of harm’s way.”

“The use of therapy dogs has been scientifically proven to help people who are exposed to challenging situations in their lives such as ill health or learning disability,” the spokesman added.

Digby has also been trained to go into schools and hospitals for Pets As Therapy charity. Other services have also started adopting therapy dogs to assist in various situations.

1. Why is Digby chosen as a therapy dog?

A．He can remove bombs.

B．He can bring relief to people.

C．He can deal with emergencies.

D．He can communicate with people.

2. What can be learned from the text?

A．Digby was finally adopted by the woman.

B．Therapy dogs can cure people of illnesses.

C．Therapy dogs are now popular in various services.

D．The use of therapy dogs was started by a firefighter.

3. Where is the text probably from?

A．A news report.

B．A science magazine.

C．A guidebook.

D．A government document.

9 . Toy industry experts say some people in the United States are turning off their electronic devices to play with classic toys like board games. This is especially true among the so-called millennial generation (千禧一代). One coffee shop in Los Angeles is making profitable use of the increase in popularity of board games.

GameHäus Café opened in November of 2013. The café is dedicated to board games. It has more than 750 games available for its customers. The business does not feature wireless Internet connection. Many customers like Roxanne Lee and her husband Agassi Lai think that is good. Ms. Lee praises the atmosphere of the café. “I think it’s very interesting for spending quality time together so that’s why I like it.”

Agassi Lai used to like playing video games. But everything changed when he discovered board games a few years ago. He likes to play a board game called “Escape the Curse of the Temple.”

You keep rolling the dice and try to move to different places and try to escape the temple.

Twenty-three year-old Weland Bourne is one of those board-game-loving millennials. “I think more with my generation, they’re wanting to take time. They’re wanting to take it slowly and I think, too, video games have kind of lost their attraction”

Adrienne Appell is with the Toy Industy Association, She says the new generation just wants to put down the telephone and Tablet and connect directly with other people.

1. What can we learn about GameHaus Cafe from the text?

A．It features board games.

B．It serves millennials only.

C．It denies access to the Internet.

D．It provides a romantic atmosphere.

2. According to the text, what advantage do board games have over video games?

A．They are financially profitable.

B．They help develop intelligence.

C．They have more varieties available.

D．They enable face-to-face interaction.

3. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To advertise a game.

B．To introduce a business.

C．To inform a phenomenon.

D．To promote a study.

10 . Steve Greig lost his dog Wolfgang seven years ago, then his life changed forever. Since that loss, he has adopted more than a dozen dogs, all of whom have been in their last few years of life. He chose to rescue senior dogs because they otherwise wouldn't have had a home.

Greig started posting family photos of his animals on Instagram, and his following has grown quickly to more million Instagram followers. Moreover, he has a pig, two rabbits, two ducks, four chickens, two cats, and a 22-kilogram turkey.

His mission didn't begin with the intention of going viral, but rather simply to honour Wolfgang's memory. He wanted something good to come out of the tragedy, so he went to a local animal shelter and adopted the oldest dog there. After that, he started photographing his daily life with his animals.

He also didn't originally intend to inspire others, but that's exactly what happened. Shortly after he started posting, his inbox filled with messages from people who had also adopted senior dogs. His fame led to a book, which teaches kids about valuing what is old instead of looking for the next new thing. He now keeps nine elderly dogs at a time, and when they pass away, he adopts new ones in their honour and in honour of Wolfgang.

Part of Greig's popularity on social media is from his family portraits and his updates of the animals, but the other part is from the unique names he gives his pets. Besides Bikini and Tofu, which he named “because it was funny”, his other pets have “elderly” names like Loretta and Wilhelmina. He has a new dog named Edsel after the failed Ford model from 1958. He chose the name “because when it originally came out it was worthless, but now it's a collector's item”.   His attitude towards Edsel is his attitude towards all of his pets, and it demonstrates his value for life in general.

Greig's touching experience with older animals has helped him value humanity even more. Whether he's helping an overlooked and forgotten aging dog or homeless person, there's a common point: sympathy. “They deserve attention, conversation, and help. ” he says.

1. Why did Greig adopt animals?

A．He dreamed of being well-known to the media.

B．He intended to call on the public to care for animals.

C．He wanted to set up an animals shelter with friends.

D．He meant it as a memorial means for his dead pet dog.

2. Which of the following best describe Greig?

A．Tolerant.

B．Caring.

C．Hardworking.

D．Honest.

3. Which of the following does Steve Greig most probably agree with?

A．Never too old to adopt animals.	B．One good turn deserves another.
C．A good dog deserves a good bone.	D．A small kindness makes a difference.