1 . Resting her phone on a stand and making the light more suitable, 49-year-old Lyu Min started her livestreaming session — her daily job during the COVID-19 outbreak. Dressed in a qipao, a traditional Chinese dress, Lyu started the livestreaming session from her workshop at 10 in the morning, sharing the art of making Chinese knots with many handicraft (手工艺) lovers. Lyu, an inheritor (继承人) of the art of making Chinese knots, which is listed as an intangible (非物质) cultural heritage, became a livestreaming host.
“Though the sales of Chinese knots have dropped a lot, I’m still confident that I can get out of the trouble brought by the outbreak. I can make full use of this period to improve my skills and develop this traditional handicraft online,” she said. Lyu is quite new to the world of livestreaming, having bought all the necessary equipment (设备) after following her friends advice. She practises livestreaming every day and records a large number of educational videos. As face-to-face interaction is still impractical for many, even as the outbreak has been largely brought under control in China, she thinks livestreaming classes can meet more Chinese knot lovers’ needs to learn the handicraft.
She has integrated the anti-epidemic spirit into her works, expressing the determination (决心) and confidence of the Chinese people to win against the COVID-19. “I love Wuhan, where I showed my works in 2019. Chinese knots are popular among many local people, and I made lots of friends there,” Lyu said. She designed a special Chinese knot to express her thanks to the medics who were sent to support Wuhan several months ago.
She has more than 200 followers right now. There are more and more Chinese knot lovers on her online platform. She is using a length of colored string and determination to keep this traditional art of Chinese knots alive online and help more people understand the culture.
1. The underlined word “livestreaming” in Paragraph 1 is close to “_______”.| A．sending out while happening | B．equipment for recording videos |
| C．sending out after recording | D．equipment for making handicrafts |
| A．Lyu Min advised her friends to livestream traditional handicraft online. |
| B．Lyu Min’s friends provided the necessary equipment for her to livestream. |
| C．Chinese knots sell very well in Lyu Min’s workshop through the Internet. |
| D．More Chinese knot lovers want to learn the handicraft because of Lyu Min. |
| A．Unexpected. | B．Hopeful. | C．Difficult | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Having online classes during the outbreak | B．Introducing an intangible cultural heritage |
| C．Livestreaming the art of making Chinese knots | D．Expressing thanks to the doctors and nurses |
2 . Looking at art should be like walking in the countryside. You may not know exactly where you are, what bird is making that strange sound, or what the hill ahead of you is called, but that’s part of the fun of it. You don’t need to know these things to feel the beauty of nature.
Of course, if you do know your birds, trees and local history, a walk can be more attractive. Yet such knowledge comes slowly. It is picked up through experience. A true knowledge of nature cannot just be given to you through an app on your phone. Imagine pointing your phone at the hill and getting plenty of information on screen. Would that enrich your dreamy walk or ruin (毁灭) it?
Braggarts enjoy an app that allows them to show off their knowledge, for example, about baroque (巴洛克风格的) paintings. In fact, apps in museums try to provide on-screen art history at once just to encourage people to read their phones instead of looking at paintings.
It is a mistaken idea that you need to be spoon-fed (灌输) amazing facts about a work of art in order to appreciate it. Our first experience of a work of art should be raw (自然状态的), unguided, and a bit puzzling, like following a path in the woods. Later, you might choose to do some personal research into the work. It can further increase your enjoyment and appreciation for it. Yet it is best done when you’re away from the art itself, so that even when you return, the work still feels fresh.
Anyone who thinks knowing some dates and details makes you better understand a work of art is wrong. We all need to put aside our screens and our supposed knowledge when we look at art. Let the paintings flow in;let your intuitions (直觉) fly off. Art is a journey in the wilderness or it is nothing at all.
1. What does the writer mainly want to say?| A．Art is best with the help of apps. | B．Art is best when hidden in mystery. |
| C．Art is nothing compared with nature. | D．Art is nothing when details and facts are known. |
| A．people who like showing off | B．people who like baroque paintings |
| C．those who are good at appreciating art | D．those who are good at painting with phones |
| A．How to appreciate a work of art. |
| B．How to personal research into a work of art. |
| C．How to keep your feelings about a work of art fresh. |
| D．How to be spoon-fed amazing facts about a work of art. |
| A．Because of apps, art will be ruined in the future. |
| B．A good piece of art is usually made about nature. |
| C．Research work and intuitions can both help understand art. |
| D．Museums are not supposed to allow the use of mobile phones. |
3 . After more than a year of pandemic, after months of an aggressive vaccination campaign, the United States should finally be better prepared to protect itself against the coronavirus. Nearly all of our long-term-care residents are vaccinated. Tens of millions of other people have been vaccinated, and tens of millions more have some level of immunity from previous infection. With more people protected, a new surge could behave differently, but early signals from the states with rising case numbers suggest that this will not universally be the case.
Just look at Michigan, the leading edge of this new surge. Cases are going up quickly, and hospital admissions are moving in lockstep (步伐一致) —just as they have in past surges. This is a bit of a surprise. The United States is entering a new phase of the pandemic. Although we’ve previously described the most devastating (毁灭性的) periods as “waves” and “surges,” the more proper metaphor now is a tornado: Some communities won’t see the storm, others will be well fortified against disaster, and the most at-risk places will be crushed. The virus has never hit all places equally, but the remarkable protection of the vaccines, combined with the new attributes of the variants. has created a situation where the pandemic will disappear, but only in some places. The pandemic is or will soon be over for a lot of people in well-resourced (实力雄厚的), heavily vaccinated communities. In places where vaccination rates are low and risk remains high, more people will join the 550,000 who have already died.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky spent her weekly press conference on Monday pleading with the American people, noting “the recurring feeling I have of coming doom (厄运).” She asked the country to “work together to prevent a fourth surge.” Three distinct factors are now shaping this country’s pandemic experience.
First, the United States did a terrible job preventing transmission (传染) of the disease. The country’s level of excess death has been high, signaling that the pandemic’s true toll has been even steeper than the officially released COVID-19 deaths. Most other countries did not experience the same levels of consistent transmission. Most estimates place the number closer to 100 million, and possibly tens of millions more.
Second, the U.S. is vaccinating people quite efficiently. It has given out the largest absolute number of doses (药的一剂) in the world. Almost three-quarters of the U.S. population over 65 has received at least one dose of the vaccine, with nearly half now fully vaccinated. On a percentage basis, the U.S. has immunized nearly three times the number of people that Germany, Italy, and France have, and in two months, the U.S. will almost certainly have a very large percentage of vaccinated adults.
Third, the virus has had staggeringly unequal effects on the American population. For a person of a given age, the risk for certain racial and ethnic groups is several times that of a white person. Native American, Latino, Pacific Islander, and Black communities have suffered large and deadly outbreaks across the country. Racialized economic hierarchy (等级制度) as well as, perhaps, distrust of the medical establishment-are holding down vaccination rates in poorer places with less access to care. So some communities have both higher risk and fewer fully protected people.
This all makes for an extremely messy and volatile (不稳定的) current situation. The first two factors mean that some places, such as California, will see the pandemic’s worst pressures fade. But where the virus is already spreading quickly, the danger is still high, and the days are running out to slow transmission via vaccination. So far, the fatality (死亡) numbers have not turned upward. Now we can only wait to see if deaths will follow hospital admissions at the pace of past surges—or if something has changed.
1. It can be inferred from the case of Michigan that _________.| A．Michigan has an edge in bringing the pandemic under control |
| B．more patients are receiving proper medical treatment in hospitals |
| C．a new surge in cases and hospital admissions is unexpected and scary |
| D．a growing number of residents have been immune to the infection |
| A．the tornado that strikes during the pandemic makes people suffer more |
| B．the measures to fight the coronavirus produce uneven results in different areas |
| C．some poor communities are protected while some areas most at-risk are crushed |
| D．the crushing effects of the pandemic will last as long as the tornado effects do |
①less access to medical care
②inaccurate estimates of death tolls
③distrust of governmental policies
④disadvantaged socio-economic status of ethnic groups
⑤a larger percentage of vaccinated adults
⑥efficient prevention of the transmission
| A．①②③④⑤ | B．①②③④ | C．①②④⑤ | D．①②③④⑥ |
| A．Frustrated. | B．Optimistic. | C．Indifferent. | D．Desperate. |
4 . Moving around Bogota can be a bit of a Jekyll-or-Hyde experience. On the one hand, the city is infamous (声名狼藉的)for having the world’s worst traffic. Yet, on the other, its cycling infrastructure is considered a good model of sustainable urban mobility, according to the Copenhagenize Index, which ranks bike-friendly cities. The Colombian capital generated a now-international movement in the 1970s called Ciclovia, which sees 1.5 million people cycle across 128km of car-free streets each Sunday morning.
So, when the pandemic reached its shores in mid-March, Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez, an avid cyclist herself, introduced one of the world’s first plans to encourage bike travel, using traffic cones to create 76 km of temporary lanes.
“Everyone started using a bicycle, and they already knew how to get around on one because we have this bike culture thanks to the Ciclovia,” says Carlos Pardo, a local cycling advocate and senior advisor at the New Urban Mobility Alliance. Pardo got involved at the beginning of the pandemic by partnering with a local bikeshare company to provide 400 free e-bikes to health workers. Now, he’s busy persuading the public that the government’s new bike lanes should become permanent fixture (固定设施).
“Some drivers say, ‘you took away our lane’, but we’re saying, we took one car lane and made a two-lane bidirectional bike lane,” he explains. “So, you’re duplicating the effectiveness of the space, and moving more people per hour, per direction.”
Biking has enjoyed a renaissance (复兴) around the world as urban citizens avoid public transport for the relative safety of a two-wheeled commute. Now, many advocates like Pardo are working with local governments in the hope of turning these pandemic-response measures into lasting changes—ones that are more plausible now than ever after lockdowns provided an unprecedented (空前的)opportunities to fast-track infrastructure trials. The results of these urban planning experiments could not only radically shape the way we commute across global cities, but also make them more adaptable to future shocks.
1. What can best illustrate the underlined sentence?| A．Much knowledge that is of help in learning about a new place. |
| B．A mixed feeling that is too confusing to express themselves. |
| C．An understanding that everything has both advantages and disadvantages. |
| D．An idea that human beings are born somewhere between good and evil. |
| A．The outbreak of the pandemic in mid-March. |
| B．The worldwide bike culture dating back to the 1970s. |
| C．The government’s support for the temporary bike lanes. |
| D．The local bike company’s contribution to health workers. |
| A．The increasing number of cyclists. | B．Duplicated effectiveness of road use. |
| C．A well-rounded city expansion plan. | D．The growth of car ownership. |
| A．Urban life. | B．Politics. | C．Sports | D．Advice column. |
5 . Top running routes in the USA
Holidays for some people are all about relaxing on the beach but for others, it’s important to be out and about. Walking and running holidays allow travellers to explore the beauty of a country and get plenty of fresh air without spending too much money. Here are some of the most beautiful running routes (路线) in the USA — you may want to give these a go.
Mammoth Lakes
An area favoured by athletes from all over the world, Mammoth Lakes offers amazing views and plenty of trails (小路) along with a healthy running community for active travellers to explore. Well-known track coaches Joe Vigil and Bob Larsen brought marathon superstars to the area in 2001 and ever since, it has trained 12 Olympians who have earned two Olympic medals as well as three major marathon wins.
Three Rivers Heritage Trail
Perfect for runners who like a bit of variety on their route, the Three Rivers Heritage Trail offers 24 miles of path going through a number of neighbourhoods, popular shopping and entertainment districts (娱乐区) and green space providing the perfect guide to the city on two feet.
Naples
Naples is well-known for its high-end shopping, world-class culture and high-class dining. The best running trail is along Gulf Shore Boulevard and Gordon Road, with views of the white sandy beaches and water, and some of Naples boutique hotels and holiday homes.
Barr Trail
The Barr Trail is a trail that began as a way to enter mining (采矿) areas on Pikes Peak and later developed into a tourist trail. It starts in Manitou Springs, a little tourist town just west of The Springs, and climbs to the top of Pikes Peak in about 12 miles and 7,400 feet of vertical (垂直的) gain. This is not an easy route so be sure to pack the right supplies and rest when you need to.
1. What might you experience in Mammoth Lakes?| A．Running like an Olympian. |
| B．Meeting your favourite stars. |
| C．Taking part in a major marathon. |
| D．Being trained by Joe Vigil and Bob Larsen. |
| A．Three Rivers Heritage Trail. | B．Barr Trail. | C．Mammoth Lakes. | D．Naples. |
| A．Mammoth Lakes. | B．Barr Trail. | C．Naples. | D．Three Rivers Heritage Trail. |
| A．Naples. | B．Barr Trail. | C．Mammoth Lakes. | D．Three Rivers Heritage Trail. |
| A．Coal miners. | B．Window shoppers. |
| C．Competitive swimmers. | D．Experienced adventurers. |
6 . Scientists have known for decades that having measles suppresses(抑制) kids’ immune systems for several weeks or months, leaving them ill-equipped to fight off pneumonia, bronchitis and other infections.
Now a team of researchers has suggested that the measles virus may also leave a longer-lasting sort of “immune-amnesia” that makes it harder for people to stave off other illnesses for two years or more.
That re-emphasizes the importance of vaccination(接种疫苗), said biologist Michael Mina, lead author of a paper that was published in the journal Science.
“There may be a long-lasting impact that you can’t undo if your child gets measles,” he said. “I hope this study can impress upon people the danger measles poses.”
The researchers used what Mina called “an unconventional approach” to search for the long-lasting immune system effects. Previous work in monkeys suggested that monkeys with the disease lost white blood cells their bodies had trained to fight off other illnesses, leaving them more likely to be infected.
To test if a similar thing may occur in humans, the group mined historical data to find out the relationship between measles incidence(发病率) and deaths from other infectious diseases.
They turned to data from England and Wales—developed nations where disease levels are generally low, allowing a less-confused view of measles’ effects. Studying measles incidence and deaths from infectious disease both before and after the introduction of the measles vaccine in the U.K. in the 1960s, Mina and the team saw a sort of shadow effect, where deaths from a variety of non-measles infectious diseases closely tracked measles incidence. The more measles in a population, the more deaths from other illnesses in the 28-month period that followed.
“Really it didn’t matter what age group, what decade or what country,” said Mina. “They all showed consistent results… what we’re suggesting happens over the long term is that your immune system works fine, but it has forgotten what it previously learned.”
Some researchers who were not involved in the work questioned whether the reductions in deaths as measles cases declined may have had more to do with improving nutrition and smaller family size than with prolonged immune suppression.
Others thought the paper’s opinion of years-long suppression was seemingly reasonable but said they could not comment on the mathematical models the group used.
To know for certain what was behind the effect the group saw, Mina agreed, scientists would need to look at immune cells and observe their behavior. He said he would like to push the work in a more traditional direction: back into the laboratory.
1. Why did Mina call their research method “an unconventional approach”?| A．Their research compared monkeys with humans. |
| B．Their research was based on the historical data. |
| C．They discovered a sort of shadow effect |
| D．They only paid attention to developed nations. |
| A．They warned people that measles can result in other infectious diseases |
| B．They showed how dangerous measles is and the importance of vaccination. |
| C．They carried out the research on measles in an unconventional approach. |
| D．They found out the disease levels are generally low in developed nations. |
| A．keep away | B．survive from | C．search for | D．turn down |
| A．Measles has been the origin of other diseases and deaths. |
| B．New research conducted into measles has been widely questioned. |
| C．Damage caused by measles to the immune system could last several weeks. |
| D．Study points to years-long immune system misfortunes from measles. |
7 . Do you think I’m insane?
This question came from Elon Musk near the very end of a long dinner we shared at a high-end seafood restaurant in Silicon Valley. I’d gotten to the restaurant first and settled down with a gin and tonic, knowing Musk would—as ever—be late. After about fifteen minutes, Musk showed up. Musk stands six foot one but he is absurdly broad-shouldered and sturdy. You’d figure he would use this frame to his advantage and perform an alpha-male strut (昂首阔步) when entering a room. Instead, he tends to be almost sheepish. His head tilted slightly down while walking, a quick handshake hello after reaching the table, and then butt in seat. From there, Musk needs a few minutes before he warms up and looks at ease.
Musk asked me to dinner for a negotiation of sorts. Eighteen months earlier, I’d informed him of my plans to write a book about him, and he’d informed me of his plans not to cooperate.
His rejection stung but sent me into dogged reporter mode. If I had to do this book without him, so be it. Plenty of people had left Musk’s companies, Tesla Motors and SpaceX, and would talk, and I already knew a lot of his friends. The interviews followed one after another, month after month, and two hundred or so people into the process, I heard from Musk once again. He called me at home and declared that things could go one of two ways: he could make my life very difficult or he could help with the project after all. He’d be willing to cooperate if he could read the book before it went to publication, and could add footnotes (脚注) throughout it. He would not meddle with my text, but he wanted the chance to set the record straight in spots that he deemed factually inaccurate. I understood where this was coming from. Musk wanted a measure of control over his life’s story. He’s also wired like a scientist and suffers mental anguish at the sight of a factual error. A mistake on a printed page would eat away at his soul—forever. While I could understand his perspective, I could not let him read the book, for professional, personal, and practical reasons. Musk has his version of the truth, and it’s not always the version of the truth that the rest of the world shares. He’s prone to lengthy answers to even the simplest of questions as well, and the thought of thirty-page footnotes seemed all too real. Still, we agreed to have dinner, chat all this out, and see where it left us.
1. Why did the author meet up with Elon Musk at the restaurant?| A．Because the alpha male forced him into this appointment. |
| B．Because his autobiography featured Musk’s legends. |
| C．Because he relied on this interview for factual accuracy. |
| D．Because the businessman was willing to help unconditionally. |
| A．Musk’s rejection forced him to give up on interviewing anybody. |
| B．Many of his former employees resigned because of his bossiness. |
| C．Musk agreed to cooperate if he could read the book before publication. |
| D．Musk has behaved in an unconventional way from time to time. |
| A．Dominant and impolite. | B．Creative and outgoing. |
| C．Shy and obsessive. | D．Caring and generous. |
8 . Experts hope an experimental drug can be as effective against the novel coronavirus in people as it has been on cells in a controlled lab environment.
The US drug, remdesivir(瑞德西韦), began clinical trials on patients in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Thursday. Other medications, including chloroquine, arbidol and darunavir have also recently been found capable of arresting viral growth in lab cells, but like remdesivir they require more clinical trials to confirm their safety and potency on humans.
The Phase III trials for remdesivir have been approved by China’s National Medical Products Administration and is conducted by the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences on patients at the Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital.
A total of 761 patients will participate in two trials-one trial to assess the drug’s potency on 308 cases with mild or moderate infection, and the other on 453 severely infected patients, Cao Bin, head of the clinical trial and vice-president of the friendship hospital, said on Wednesday.
Cao said studies have shown remdesivir is effective in inhibiting the growth of the novel coronavirus in vitro(在生物体外), meaning the procedure was done on cells in a controlled environment outside of a living organism, typically in a petri dish or test tube.
But the drug has yet to show convincing clinical evidence that it can translate its positive in vitro results into actual human patients. Hence, it will require rigorous clinical testing, Cao said.
A 35-year-old patient from the United States infected with the virus was reported seeing noticeable improvement with no obvious side effects after taking the drug, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
Gilead Sciences, the maker of remdesivir, said in a recent statement that it has been working with government agencies on the novel coronavirus response efforts.
However, the company stressed that remdesivir is an experimental medicine that has only been used in a handful of patients on compassionate grounds, “so we do not have an appropriately robust understanding of the effect of this drug to warrant broad use at this time”.
1. Why does the US drug, remdesivir, began clinical trials?| A．To see how it takes effect. |
| B．To replace the traditional medicine. |
| C．To confirm their safety and potency on humans. |
| D．To show whether remdesivir is effective in inhibiting the growth of the novel coronavirus in vitro. |
| A．Chinese Hospital does The Phase III trials independently. |
| B．Remdesivir can cure those who are infected with the novel coronavirus. |
| C．After taking the drug, a 35-year-old patient was infected with the virus. |
| D．Doctors had seen apparent success treating a 35-year-old patient infected with the virus. |
| A．Negative. | B．Positive. | C．Critical. | D．Gloomy. |
| A．A diary. | B．A guidebook. | C．A novel. | D．A magazine. |
9 . Hersheypark, an amusement park in Hershey, Pennsylvania, has something for everyone. You can have fun riding roller coasters that range from mild to wild. There are also classic family rides, a water park, a zoo, and of course, chocolate.
Now its new section, Hershey’s Chocolatetown, is open! There is Candymonium, the tallest, fastest, longest, and sweetest coaster in the park. It offers a one-of-a-kind experience.
Opening hours for this week
Oct 12-15, Monday – Thursday, closed
Oct 16, Friday, 5 pm – 9 pm
Oct 17, Saturday, 2 pm – 9 pm
Oct 18, Sunday, 2 pm – 9 pm
Tickets:
Buy tickets at www.hersheypark.com
1-Day tickets: ＄49.95 (Ages 3+) Free (Children ages 2 or younger)
2-Day tickets: ＄47.50 per day (Ages 9-61)
＄40 per day (Ages 3-8/ Ages 62+)
Free (Children ages 2 or younger)
Tips:
1. Please book your tickets before you visit at www.hersheypark.com.
2. You can download the Hersheypark app to help you plan your visit.
Safety rules:
1. All guests over the age of 2 are required to wear face coverings.
2. Guests should also be prepared to undergo a touchless temperature screening before entering Hersheypark.
3. Follow directions from our team members by keeping 6 feet away from other guests at all times.
Address:
100 West Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, PA 17033
Contact: 717-534-3900
1. Which of the following is new at Hersheypark?| A．Classic family rides. | B．The water park. |
| C．The zoo. | D．Candymonium. |
| A．＄2.45. | B．＄4.90. |
| C．＄9.95. | D．＄19.90. |
| A．They should reserve their tickets by phone. |
| B．They need to download the Hersheypark app. |
| C．They need to have their temperature taken. |
| D．They have to enter the park in groups of six. |
10 . No doubt that humans have widely changed, developed, and exploited (开发) much of the natural world for our own ends. But how much of the land surface remains free of our often-harmful influence?
In a new study, scientists compared figures from four different sets of data using different kinds of methods and classification (分类) systems to answer this question. On average, the researchers say roughly half (48 to 56 percent) of the world’s land shows “low” influence of humans. While the figures may inspire many—stressing the vast expanse of significantly untouched lands that can still be protected through conservation measures—the study also shows just how much of the Earth has already been occupied and used by humans.
In fact, only about a quarter (20 to 34 percent) of the planet’s ice-free land surface shows “very low” signs of human influence, the researchers say, and the parts of the planet that we have left alone up until now constitute (构成) some of the least livable places on Earth. In other words, whether through urbanization, forestry, agriculture or other means, humans have applied the most influence on biodiverse land that presented ripe and easy opportunities for immediate human needs; in contrast, roasting deserts in the world’s hottest places, or frozen wastelands in its coldest spots, have been ignored.
Even so, the researchers say the results shown here give us a strong, clear marker that we can use to help structure existing and future conservation efforts by preventing disturbance on existing low influenced areas, meanwhile, recovering areas for conservation in land that has already been exploited too much.
“The encouraging takeaway from this study is that if we act quickly and decisively (果断地), there is a slim window in which we can still conserve roughly half of the Earth’s land in a relatively untouched state,” says biologist and lead author of the study, Jason Riggio.
There’s a chance, right now, to draw a line in the sand, and say “no more”.
1. Why was the new study carried out?| A．To find out why humans exploit nature. |
| B．To figure out the land free from human influence. |
| C．To prove humans are harmful to nature. |
| D．To clarify the Earth is not occupied by humans completely. |
| A．Woodless lands. | B．Ice-free lands. |
| C．Places with biodiversity. | D．Places with warmth. |
| A．Make use of the unlivable area through different means. |
| B．Remove the influence on the previous disturbed area. |
| C．Attempt to have no bad effect on the “untouched” land. |
| D．Reconstruct the overexploited land with forest and agriculture. |
| A．It should be urbanized immediately. | B．It should be covered with plants. |
| C．It should be free from humans and animals. | D．It should be undisturbed and preserved. |
