1 . Having worked in the space station core module Tianhe for three months-the longest-ever human space mission in the Chinese history, three “taikonauts” of the Shenzhou-12 crew returned to Earth on Friday, hitting a new milestone in China's space exploration.
China's first self-developed space station, Tiangong, is independently constructed and operated by the country, demonstrating the country's breakthroughs in technologies concerning the astronauts' long-term stay and health care, recycling and life support system, supply of space materials and operations, as well as in-orbit maintenance.
As scheduled, the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft and the Shenzhou-13 manned spaceship will also be launched later this year todockwith the Tianhe module, and another trio of astronauts will stay in orbit for six months. For 2022, China is considering over a blitz of space missions, including the launch of the Wentian and Mengtian lab modules, two cargo spacecraft and two crewed spaceships, for the building of Tiangong, which is planned to be completed next year.
The two decades saw China launch seven manned spacecraft, two cargo spacecraft, Tiangong-1 experimental space lab and Tiangong-2 space lab, and send 12 astronauts into space, with the first “two steps” achieved, and the construction of Tiangong will mark a new peak of China's space technology.
The China Manned Space Agency has worked with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs to invite UN members for scientific experiments aboard the Tiangong station. As the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA)chief scientist for human exploration and operations Julie Robinson put it, “Increased scientific access to space is of scientific benefit globally, no matter who builds and operates platforms.”
There is no limit for the vast universe, nor for humanity's exploration endeavors. Tiangong, as a new outpost(前哨)in space and a platform for cooperation, will be China's gift and contribution to all humankind.
1. What's the name of the China's space station?| A．Tianhe. | B．Tiangong. | C．Shenzhou. | D．Tianzhou. |
| A．Help. | B．Work. | C．Deal. | D．Connect. |
| A．China failed to achieve the first “two steps”. |
| B．There are many Tiangong experimental space labs. |
| C．Chinese scientists are still making Tiangong completed. |
| D．12 astronauts and 9 cargo spacecraft have been sent into space. |
| A．A China's space station. |
| B．China advances closer to ‘space station times’. |
| C．The construction of Tiangong. |
| D．Shenzhou XII crew returns to Earth successfully. |
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 . Greying Population Stays in the Pink
Elderly people are growing healthier, happier and more independent, say American scientists.
In the last 14 years, data have been gathered on the health and lifestyles of more than 20,000 people over 65. Researchers say high blood pressure and circulation problems and other diseases of old age are troubling a smaller proportion every year.
One interesting fact is that better-educated people are likely to live longer. For example, 65-year-old women with fewer than eight years of schooling are expected, on average, to live to 82. Those who continued their education live an extra seven years.
The survey also assessed how independent people over 65 were, and again found a striking trend. Their self-reliance is probably linked to an increasing use of home medical aids, such as raised toilet seats and bath seats.
| A．But independence can have drawbacks. |
| B．It is not surprising we see some effects. |
| C．If the trends apparent in the United States continues, |
| D．These developments also bring some health benefits. |
| E．Clearly, certain diseases can be prevented or cured because of medical advances. |
| F．And the rate at which these diseases are declining continues to increase. |
| G．Researchers say it is because educated people seek more medical attention. |
4 . Facial recognition is a new technology built into all sorts of applications. It's also one of the more controversial technologies pioneered today, as it sets up deep questions regarding security versus privacy rights, and how these facial recognition applications can be safely and fairly applied.
Modern facial recognition is clearly dependent on specific technologies and algorithms (算法) that we've built during the machine learning and artificial intelligence era of the early 21st century. Specifically, most cutting-edge facial recognition programs feature a type of neural network called a convolutional (卷积) neural network (CNN). The system uses convolutions as well as other algorithm work in successive stages to do complex analysis of an image, and even identify people, animals, objects or settings through advanced analysis.
One primary piece of functionality in the CNN is feature detection. First, the face must be identified within the image context, so that the facial features can be analyzed. Methods such as the Viola-Jones are used to break down an image through color shift and local analysis of group pixels to find features like noses, ears, eyes, etc. The same facial recognition neural networks will often utilize ratios—such as the ratio from eyes to hairline, from ears to nose, or other stock facial ratios that can help with facial recognition. The image is then compared to all known faces to uniquely identify the identity of that person.
So, with all this winning technology the facial recognition engine can be surprisingly adept at learning how to recognize a particular individual’s face in a crowd. Facial recognition software is applied in payment processing to substitute cards with faces, for access and security purposes, and to identify criminals.
Primarily, companies that have used abundant public Internet images to pull together training sets for sophisticated facial recognition programs face blowback and resistance from some of their customers, including law enforcement departments, and from U.S. legislators, consumer advocates and citizens at large.
1. What are paragraphs 2 and 3 mainly about?| A．How facial recognition works technically. |
| B．How facial recognition is applied in society. |
| C．When facial recognition gets increasingly significant. |
| D．What the primary function of feature detection is. |
| A．By comparing the image to all known faces. |
| B．By learning how to recognize a particular face. |
| C．By using convolutional neural network. |
| D．By identifying face within context. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Ambiguous. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．facial recognition is a new debatable world technology |
| B．convolutional neural network is intended for feature detection |
| C．facial recognition is mostly employed to identify criminals |
| D．there’s still need for facial recognition to prove accuracy |
5 . Introduction to Sanxingdui Museum
Situated in the northeast of the state-protected Sanxingdui Site by the bank of the Yazi River in Guanghan — a city famed for its long history and splendid culture, Sanxingdui Museum is a modern theme museum which is 40 kilometers to the north of Chengdu.
Covering a total area of 530 yields, Sanxingdui Museum had its foundation laid in August 1992, and opened to the public in October 1997. Featured for its relics, architecture, demonstration and gardens, the museum has become a place of cultural and tourist attractions enjoying prestige both at home and abroad and one of the three exquisite spots Sichuan has offered to the world tourism.
Notice to Sanxingdui Site Museum Travelers
Ⅰ. Opening & Booking Time
Opening time: Gallery One 8:30-18:00 Gallery Two 8:30-18:30
Booking time: 8:30-17:00
Ⅱ. Visiting Route
Gallery One→Gallery Two
Ⅲ . Ticket Price
(1) Gallery ticket ¥72 ¥36 (students)
(2) Garden ticket ¥5
The ticket is used on the sold day and each gallery once.
Admission free for children under 1.2 meters (including 1.2m), seniors aged 60 or above and the disabled.
Ⅴ. Guide Service＆Price
(1) Guide Service
If you need a museum guide, please employ one at the reception desk in Gallery One.
Chinese, Cantonese, Tibetan: ¥80 (Group below 20 persons)
English, Japanese: ¥120 (Group below 20 persons）
(2) Guide Range: Gallery 1 & Gallery 2
(3) It takes about 80 minutes each guide service.
(4) We provide Chinese & English auto guiding device free of charge. Please deposit CNY ¥200 and your valid credential. If damaged or lost, you should compensate according to the cost price.
Ⅳ.Consulting telephone: 0838－5651526
Ⅵ. Complaint against the price telephone: 12358
1. What can we learn about Sanxingdui Museum?| A．It’s located in the northeast of Chengdu. |
| B．It’s an ancient theme museum. |
| C．It’s a famous place of cultural and tourist attractions. |
| D．It’s the only top tourist spots in Sichuan. |
| A．¥154. | B．¥118. |
| C．¥ 77. | D．¥ 41. |
| A．pay CNY ¥200 for a museum guide |
| B．first call the museum at 12358 for enquiry |
| C．use Chinese & English auto guiding device for free |
| D．deposit some money and provide her valid credential |
6 . Revolutionary Glasses Make It Safe to Drive at Night
Did you know that more than 40 percent of all deadly car accidents occur at night? A recent breakthrough eyeglass technology has made it safe to drive at night. It’s almost like having “X-ray” vision (视力) while driving.
Spend money on your safety and peace of mind behind the wheel with a pair of these cutting-edge night driving glasses. The amount of car accidents that occur at night is mostly the result of poor visibility. Even with 60% less traffic on the road at night, accidents still happen due to blinding light and just overall bad driving visibility.
Imagine being able to clearly see what’s in front of you and what’s approaching, even if it’s very dark and foggy. Once you start wearing ClearView night glasses, you’ll feel much more confident and safe driving when it’s getting dark. With ClearView you will notice an instant reduction in strong light from oncoming traffic and bright street lights.
This is because the special yellow lens tint (镜片色彩) can block strong blue light, and increase contrast (对比). ClearView passes the global traffic light standard for safer sharper vision at night with flying colors.
You can start using ClearView immediately even if you wear glasses. Simply place ClearView on top of your glasses and be amazed by the difference this technology makes!
Is it worth it? Absolutely! Keep a pair in each of your cars to make sure you have your glasses at hand when night comes. If you care about your family’s safety then this is a no-brainer.
1. According to the text, the main cause of unsafe driving at night is________.| A．heavy traffic | B．low visibility | C．poor eyesight | D．bad driving |
| A．It cures night blindness. |
| B．It passes the national standard. |
| C．It provides “X-ray” vision for drivers. |
| D．It reduces the brightness of strong light. |
| A．To inform. | B．To explain. | C．To promote. | D．To entertain. |
7 . Jean was a single mother with a young son. She taught the first grade and worked very hard. She drove a small old car. One August, the teachers returned from a summer break to see Jean drive up to school with three children The two girls were Jean’s former students who had lost their parents. They did not want to enter a foster care center. They turned to Jean—their first grade teacher—for help. Though she and her son lived in a small house, Jean took the girls in.
During lunch, while other teachers shared life stories, Jean never complained about her new responsibilities. She did, however, speak about her car. With three children to transport, the car was too small and slow. It even burned engine oil. Jean needed something new. However, she couldn’t buy one with three children in her home.
As a good friend, I listened to her concerns. At that time, did not have much money. But I wanted to help Jean buy a car. An idea hit me when I watched a TV show.
One day, Jean received an invitation to TV show. She was surprised but decided to attend it. Midway through the show the host called Jean to the stage. He explained he had received a letter, knowing her need for a new car. The audience listened to the details of Jean’s story and were all moved. Then the host said that Jean would receive a new car for her family. Cheers filled the studio and Jean shook with disbelief.
Six hundred miles away, I watched the joy of it all from the television in my living room. Jean’s big heart taught me many lessons that year. I did nothing but share her story.
1. What can we infer about Jean according to the first paragraph?| A．She knew the girls’ parents. |
| B．She was very kind-hearted. |
| C．She wanted to sell her small car. |
| D．She didn’t have summer break as other teachers. |
| A．She couldn’t afford to buy a new car. |
| B．She found it hard to raise three kids alone. |
| C．She couldn’t spare more time for her students. |
| D．She had no time to transport her kids to school. |
| A．The author turned to the show for help. |
| B．The school wanted to make her story known. |
| C．The school rewarded her for her hard work. |
| D．The show picked some single mothers to report randomly. |
| A．A letter from my friend | B．Helping my friend get a car |
| C．Inviting my friend to show | D．A single mother with three kids |
8 . It was in my first year of work as a doctor. My mouth was dry, my palms sweaty and my voice trembling. The only thing that kept me focused was the thought that things were so much worse for the family I was talking to.
A woman in her early twenties had been brought in after a road traffic accident. She had suffered multiple injuries and had been rushed up to theatre. The surgeons had been unable to save her life and she died on the table. Ashen-faced, the consultant (会诊医生) told the woman's family the news. “Tom, I think it would be nice if it came from you,” my consultant said.
I stared blankly. “What?” I asked.
“About organ donation,” he replied. I swallowed hard. Surely this would be the last thing they'd want to talk about. It felt acutely awkward and ill-timed to be considering this kind of conversation while they were being engulfed in grief. But the problem with organ donation is that every minute counts. The clock is ticking because the sooner organs can be transplanted, the better the chance they will survive in the recipient's (接受者) body.
I began to feel sick. I opened the door and sat opposite them, convinced that I was only going to make things worse for them.
“It's what she'd have wanted,” the mother said before I'd even finished. The father nodded. “She was always so generous,” her father added.
As my consultant and I left them, it occurred to me that I'd been wrong in thinking it would be an awkward conversation. Nothing could take away the pain of having lost their daughter. Yet this last, final act had comforted them and helped them feel that the spirit of their daughter lived on m this act of generosity. Strangely, it is one of the most heart-wanning conversations I have ever had.
1. The first two paragraphs suggest________.| A．the woman died on the scene |
| B．it was hard for the author to face death |
| C．the author witnessed the traffic accident |
| D．the woman's death was told by the consultant |
| A．He was caught in a dilemma. | B．He was seriously ill at that time. |
| C．He failed to transplant the organ. | D．The woman's chance of survival was slim. |
| A．To do the author a favor. | B．To show respect for the doctor. |
| C．To follow then daughter’s will. | D．To end the awkward conversation. |
| A．The consultant’s assistance. | B．The author’s consideration. |
| C．The donor’s kindness. | D．The recipient’s appreciation. |
9 . Although we're surrounded by millions of bricks every day, most of us don't think about them too often. For thousands of years, the humble clay-fired bricks haven't changed.
They're made from natural materials, but there are problems with bricks at every step of their production. Bricks are made from clay—a type of soil found all over the world. Clay mining is harmful to plant growth. In conventional brick production, the clay is shaped and baked in kilns(窑) mostly heated by fossil fuels, which contributes to climate change. Once made, bricks must be transported to construction sites, generating more carbon emissions. With so many bricks produced globally, their impact adds up.
Gabriela Medero, a professor at Scotland's Heriot-Watt University, decided to find solutions to that. With her university's support, Medero set up Kenoteq in 2009. The company's signature product is the K-Briq. Made from more than 90% construction waste, Medero says the K-Briq—which does not need to be fired in a kiln—produces less than a tenth of the carbon emissions of conventional bricks. With the company testing new machinery to start scaling up production, Medero hopes her bricks will help to build a more sustainable world.
The K-Briq will be comparably priced to conventional bricks. Additionally, as a new product, the K-Briq has been subjected to strict assessment and authoritative certification. Reusing old bricks is an expensive process and there is no standardized way to check the strength, safety or durability (耐久性) of recycled bricks. Medero says that K-Briq could solve both these problems. She claims that K-Briq is stronger and more durable than fired clay bricks.
Over the next 18 months, Medero plans to get K-Briq machines on-site at recycling plants. "This will reduce transport-related emissions because trucks can collect K-Briq when they drop off construction waste," says Medero.
1. What inspired Medero to invent the K-Briq?| A．The poor quality of the conventional bricks. |
| B．The outdated style of the conventional bricks. |
| C．The high cost of manufacturing conventional bricks. |
| D．The problems with the conventional brick production. |
| A．It won't produce waste. |
| B．It brings no pollution to the air. |
| C．The plants occupy much less land than before. |
| D．The K-Briq is mainly made from construction waste. |
| A．The popularity of the K-Briq. |
| B．The advantages of K-Briq over traditional bricks. |
| C．The special materials used in K-Briq. |
| D．The advanced technology used for K-Briq. |
| A．To ensure fewer emissions. |
| B．To speed up the production. |
| C．To lower the production cost. |
| D．To collect more construction waste. |
10 . It is widely believed that smiling means a person is happy, and it usually occurs when they're meeting another person or a group of people. However, a new study led by the body language expert Dr Harry Witchel shows this isn't always the case.
In his research, he asked 44 participants aged 18—35 to play a geography quiz game consisting of nine difficult questions so that they often got the answer wrong. Participants seated interacted with a computer alone in a room while their faces were video recorded.
After the quiz, the participants were asked to rate their experience using a range of 12 emotions including “bored”, “interested” and “frustrated”. Meanwhile, their facial expressions were then computer analysed frame by frame in order to judge how much they were smiling based on a scale of between 0 to 1.
Dr Witchel said: “According to some researchers, a real smile reflects the inner state of cheerfulness or amusement. However, behavioral ecology theory suggests that all smiles are tools used in social interactions, meaning cheerfulness is neither necessary nor rich for smiling. Our study showed that in these humancomputer interaction experiments, smiling isn't driven by happiness; it is associated with subjective involvement(主观参与) , which acts like a social fuel for smiling, even when socialising with a computer on your own.”
Surprisingly, participants didn't tend to smile during the period when they were trying to figure out the answers. However, they did smile right after the computer game informed them if their answer was correct or wrong. Participants smiled more often when they got the answer wrong. Dr Witched added: “During these computerised quizzes, smiling was greatly increased just after answering questions incorrectly.This behaviour could be explained by selfratings of involvement, rather than by ratings of happiness or frustration.”
1. Why did Dr Witchel use difficult questions in the quiz game?| A．To make it hard for participants to answer them correctly. |
| B．To make the answer period last as long as possible. |
| C．To discover the most intelligent participants. |
| D．To create a stressful situation for participants deliberately. |
| A．Other researchers' opinion of a real smile is quite right. |
| B．Smiles aren't necessarily useful tools in social interactions. |
| C．Subjective involvement doesn't motivate smiling in social interactions. |
| D．Witchel's study finding is consistent with behavioural ecology theory. |
| A．Participants were asked to interact with each other in the quiz. |
| B．Participants in the quiz smiled less often when they got the answer wrong. |
| C．In Dr Witchel's opinion, smiling is connected with subjective involvement. |
| D．Dr Witchel thinks that a real smile reflects the inner state of cheerfulness. |
| A．What Contributes to Real Happiness? |
| B．How to Identify Whether a Person Is Really Happy? |
| C．Smiling Doesn't Necessarily Mean Happiness. |
| D．People Generally Hold a Wrong View on Happiness. |
