1 . Alpha, Beta, Delta... these Greek letters used to only appear in our math classes but are now in use in news headlines.
Now, it’s Lambda. As the Delta variant (变 体) spreads throughout communities in Asia, Europe and the United States, another variant, Lambda, is spreading rapidly throughout South America, Forbes reported on Aug 10.
On May 31, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a naming system for variants of COVID-19 that uses letters of the Greek alphabet (字母表). Before that, the public had to call a variant its scientific name or refer to it based on where it was identified.
For example, a variant of COVID-19 identified in South Africa in late 2020 was called variant 501Y.V2 or B.1.351. Media also called the same virus “the South African variant”. Now, everyone calls it “Beta”.
Compared to complicated scientific names, the Greek letters are much easier to remember. “It is a lot easier for a radio newsreader to say ‘Delta’ than bee-one-six-one-seven-two,” Jeffrey Barrett, a UK statistical geneticist told Nature.
WHO hopes this change will help stop the stigma (污名) associated with geography-based names. “I can understand why people just call it ‘the South African variant’ — they don’t mean anything by it,” Salim Abdool Karim, an epidemiologist in South Africa, told Nature. “The problem is, if we allow it to continue, some ill-intentioned people may take advantage of it.” “No country should be stigmatized for detecting and reporting variants,” Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s COVID-19 technical lead, wrote on Twitter.
As the virus is still evolving, 11 variants have been named so far. What if the 24 Greek letters are not enough? “We will possibly run out of the Greek alphabet, but we’re already looking at the next series of names,” Van Kerkhove told The Telegraph. “We’re actually considering star constellations(星座).”
Currently, the Virus Evolution Working Group and WHO’s legal team are double checking proposals to “make sure we don’t upset anyone with these names”, Van Kerkhove told The Telegraph.
1. What do Lambda and Delta have in common?| A．They are both chosen by Greek scientists. |
| B．They are both confusing to understand. |
| C．They are both Greek names of varieties of COVID-19. |
| D．They are both the places where COVID-19 was found. |
| A．The virus should be named after the place where it is found and spread. |
| B．No country should detect or study COVID-19 without WHO’s permission. |
| C．People felt uncomfortable when they call COVID-19 “the South African variant”. |
| D．Some people with bad intention may judge other countries reporting COVID-19. |
| A．Because the naming system in use is not convenient. |
| B．Because the variants may outnumber the Greek letters. |
| C．Because people are more curious about star constellations. |
| D．Because it is illegal to rename the variants with letters. |
| A．To introduce new ways of renaming COVID-19 varieties. |
| B．To describe how scientists identified the varieties of COVID-19. |
| C．To explain why some people prefer geography-based names. |
| D．To arouse people’s awareness of more COVID-19 varieties. |
| A．Science. | B．Travel. |
| C．Sports. | D．First Aid. |
2 . On a cold and clear day in February, Wes, his brother Jeff, his assistant Jordan, and I were following the GPS from the bear’s collar( 项 圈 ) up a steep and into a red earth canyon. The temperature dropped to zero as we cleaned the snow, trying to locate the black bear’s entrance.
The radio signal was so weak that as the sun set, we considered turning back. Then a curtain of snow collapsed, revealing a sandstone cave. It narrowed to a dark tunnel, and the musky(麝香味)smell of wild animal steamed from within. Wes didn’t hesitate. Armed with an expandable six-foot stick with a tranquilizer syringe(镇定剂喷射器) on its tip, he dived in headfirst. His brother crawled after him.
Thirty seconds later, they came flying backward out of the tunnel. The bear they’d collared a year and a half ago now weighed about 350 pounds— and he was awake! Wes had managed to jab him with the syringe, so we waited for the drug to take effect. But when we rounded the tunnel bend, wide eyes flashed at us. He was STILL awake!! Wes told me not to move while he backed out and jabbed another dose of tranquilizer.
The bear started crawling toward us. We desperately blocked the exit with backpacks and sticks as Wes jabbed him again— but he powered through our barriers with groggy(头晕眼花的) steps and began to crawl down the snowy slope. Jeff and Jordan held his back paws, managing to hold on to him; Wes jumped on his back and grabbed his collar. The bear pulled them down the hillside together. The tranquilizer had taken effect— he was asleep. Wes and his brother changed the batteries of the collar and checked his health, but we had one more difficult task: getting a 350-pound bear up the snowy path and safely back to his cave before he awoke. We pushed and pulled with every muscle. Before the drug wore off, our effort paid off.
When spring came, signals from the bear’s new radio collar showed he’d continued his everyday life—avoiding any more contact, we hope, with humans.
1. Why did the author and his friends go to the canyon?| A．They wanted to conduct a radio experiment. |
| B．They expected to hunt for a bear for fun. |
| C．They wished to explore the nature in winter. |
| D．They planned to maintain the bear’s radio collar. |
| A．The bear’s unique smell reminded them. |
| B．A hunter led them to the bear’s habitat. |
| C．The strong sunlight revealed its cave. |
| D．A curtain of snow showed them the way. |
| A．Kick. | B．Inject. |
| C．Cure. | D．Assist. |
| A．The bear was more than pleased to see them again. |
| B．The drug took effect immediately after the bear took it. |
| C．They made it to send the bear back to its cave. |
| D．They gave the bear tranquilizer 4 times in the end. |
| A．The Bear Wearing a Collar | B．Danger in Nature |
| C．An Encounter with a Bear | D．A “Little” Adventure |
3 . Roger Williams Park Zoo Visitor Guide
Zoo Manners
The zoo is a smoke free area. No balloons, balls, bikes, or roller skates allowed. Pets are not allowed—except guide dogs for blind. Stay on the pathways and do not place children on railing. Do not throw anything into the animal exhibits. Please help our conservation efforts by depositing trash and recyclables properly.
Lost Persons
If separated from your group ask any zoo employee or security guard for immediate assistance, or go directly to the Administration Building reception desk.
Facilities and Services
Enjoy a delicious meal at one of our two animal-themed café restaurants. Our Visitor Centre offers cards, books and toys so you can always remember your day at the zoo. There is also an hourly animal presentation near the Main Entrance where you can learn more about the animals, pet them and even take a picture with them.
Zoo Exhibit Game
Each animal exhibit will have information about the animal located there. You will get to learn about each animal’s habitat, their conservation status and some other quick facts. As you explore the zoo check off all the endangered animals you discover from the list below. Find them all and win a free T-shirt.
• Mountain Gorilla
• Chinese Alligator
• Snow Leopard
• white-winged Wood Duck
• Red Panda
• Giant Turtle
• Koala
Zoo Hours
Open Thursday—Monday from 10 am—4 pm.
Timed-entry ticket(定时门票) requirements continue to remain in effect for non-members.
1. Which of the following is allowed at the zoo?
| A．Riding your bike. | B．Taking your camera. |
| C．Bringing pet dogs. | D．Smoking cigarettes. |
| A．Main Entrance. | B．Visitor Centre. |
| C．Administration Building. | D．Nursing Centre. |
| A．Follow all the zoo rules. | B．Visit all the zoo’s exhibits. |
| C．Bring along another guest. | D．Find all the animals listed. |
| A．Enjoy delicious meals. | B．Watch animal presentations. |
| C．Sort and recycle garbage. | D．Buy some souvenirs. |
| A．8 am, Monday. | B．11 am, Tuesday. |
| C．2 pm, Friday. | D．7 pm, Sunday. |
4 . Some people think only school children do not agree with their parents. However, it is not true.
Try to reach a compromise (和解).
Talk about your values. The values of your parents are probably different from those of your own.
A good relationship with your parents can make you a better and happier person. It is worth having a try.
| A．Don’t argue with your parents. |
| B．Tell your parents what you care about, and why. |
| C．Make sure you understand why you are unhappy. |
| D．Showing respect will keep your relationship strong. |
| E．Perhaps you and your parents disagree on something. |
| F．Communication is a problem for parents and children of all ages. |
| G．If you don’t think you can speak to them at the moment, try writing. |
5 . In a story from Aesop’s Fables (伊索寓言), a thirsty crow (乌鸦) drops stones into a narrow bottle to raise the low level of water inside so he can take a drink.
Now scientists have experiments to back up that story. The experiments show that crows actually do understand how to make water displacement (排水量) work to their advantage. The results suggest that the birds are, at least in some cases, as smart as first-graders.
Researchers, led by Sarah Jelbert at the University of Cambridge, presented six crows with bottles, containing water. Inside the bottles, a piece of meat on a piece of wood was floating (漂浮), just out of reach of the crows. In front of the bottles, the researchers arranged several rubber erasers that would sink, and some plastic objects that would float. The crows found out that they could drop the erasers into the bottles in order to raise the water level and get their meat.
However, the birds were awkward in experiments in which they could choose to drop objects in either a wide bottle or a narrow one to get the meat, the researchers said. Dropping objects into a narrow bottle would lift the water level by a greater amount and put the treat within reach after just two drops; while it took around seven drops to raise the meat to the same level in the wide bottle. The crows obviously didn’t realize this, and most of them went for the wide bottle first.
Previous studies showed that chimps (大猩猩) and human children can solve similar tasks. In a 2011 study, chimps and kids found out that they could put water into a bottle to reach a peanut that was floating in a small amount of water at the bottom.
1. What does the text focus on?| A．The truth of Aesop’s fables. | B．Crows’ intelligence. |
| C．The development of crows. | D．Human-animal communication. |
| A．By breaking the bottle. | B．By dropping erasers. |
| C．By standing on the wood. | D．By removing the wood. |
| A．The bottle. | B．The objects. | C．The meat. | D．The water. |
| A．Crows are unable to tell different shapes. |
| B．Crows prefer narrow bottles. |
| C．Crows are good at counting numbers. |
| D．Crows are not clever all the time. |
| A．crows are as smart as them. |
| B．crows are smarter than them. |
| C．crows are less smart than them. |
| D．crows can not be compared with them. |
6 . In UK, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras are everywhere. They help the police solve crimes (犯罪) and keep the streets safe. But that’s not all they do. They also catch people doing very stupid or smart things.
One of the videos is of a British woman Mary Bale. She clearly doesn’t like cats. In 2020 she was caught on CCTV throwing one into a dustbin. The video shows Mary walking down a quiet street. All of a sudden, she notices Lola the cat jump onto a fence (篱笆). Mary stops to pick up Lola and drops her into a large dustbin. Lola was saved fifteen hours later. And Mary was caught by police for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. She was fined ￡250 and was not allowed to own pets for five years.
Another video shows “Britain’s drunkest man”. And he’d obviously had a few too many glasses of beer. At about 2 a.m., he was kicked out for being too drunk. So, he decided to walk home. On the way, CCTV cameras filmed him falling down stairs and crossing the roads madly… A hotel waiter said, “It’s amazing he didn’t hurt himself badly.”
Sometimes they also record smart events. Once a British band The Get Out Clause didn’t have any money to make a music video. So, they came up with an unbelievable idea. They set up their instruments and played a song in front of eight CCTV cameras. And then, according to the English Freedom of Information Act, they asked for a copy of all the footages (镜头) , which they edited. The result is that a totally new music video was made, and it didn’t cost them a penny.
1. According to the passage, CCTV cameras are everywhere in ________.| A．China. | B．USA. | C．UN. | D．Britain. |
| A．She was put in prison for 15 hours. |
| B．She was not allowed to own pets forever. |
| C．She was asked to pay a sum of money. |
| D．She picked up Lora and put her into a dustbin. |
| A．help police solve crimes. | B．record some stupid scenes. |
| C．help drunk men find way home. | D．keep the street safer. |
| A．Because they believe it is cool and time-saving. |
| B．Because they want to get famous overnight. |
| C．Because they’re short of money. |
| D．Because they think it is unbelievable. |
| A．CCTV Cameras Watch Actions. | B．CCTV Cameras Are Everywhere. |
| C．CCTV cameras Are Wisely Used. | D．CCTV cameras Are Dangerous to Life. |
7 . This website is full of children’s story books. If you enjoy a child’s story or have kids of your own, then please browse (浏览) this site to find some great stories and order them.
The Cat in The Hat—Dr. Seuss
In this book, the Cat brings a cheerful form of disorder to a household of two young children one rainy day while their mother is out. The Cat performs all sorts of wacky tricks (奇怪的把戏) to make the children laugh. Then, he cleans up the house on his way out, disappearing seconds before the children’s mother arrives.
Tom and Pippo and The Washing Machine—Helen Oxenbury
Pippo, the toy monkey gets washed in the washing machine after playing in the mud with Tom. In the 1980s Helen Oxenbury created a series of books featuring Tom, a naughty young boy, and his beloved monkey, Pippo. Ms. Oxenbury said that Tom was very much like her son “when he was a little kid”.
Charlie and The Chocolate Factory—Roald Dahl
The book tells the story of a young boy, Charlie Bucket, who lives with his parents and his four grandparents. Charlie is a happy, bright and kind-hearted boy who loves his family despite their poor living conditions. His greatest love in life is chocolate, but he only receives one bar a year on his birthday.
The Famous Five—Enid Blyton
The Famous Five is Enid Blyton’s most popular series of children’s books. It was first published in 1942, and it has won great acclaim. The series has become the best-loved stories written for children.
1. What’s the purpose of the text?| A．To sell children’s storybooks on line. | B．To advertise for a book store. |
| C．To call on children to read stories. | D．To teach readers how to tell stories. |
| A．How the Cat puts the house in disorder. | B．How the Cat cares for two kids. |
| C．Why the Cat helps clean the house. | D．Why the Cat disappears finally. |
| A．Dr. Seuss. | B．Helen Oxenbury. | C．Road Dahl. | D．Enid Blyton. |
| A．he has four grandparents. | B．he is a kindhearted boy. |
| C．he doesn’t like chocolate. | D．he lives in a poor family. |
| A．Praise. | B．Shame. | C．Doubts. | D．Questions. |
8 . According to a recent report, about 15% of the people in the UK are members of gyms. But are they more likely to be fit?
A study found that gym members were 14 times more active than people who didn’t belong to any health club. Gym members did six hours more exercise a week, and this activity did make them fitter than non-gym members. They also spent less time sitting down every day than non-gym members. The results were the same for men and women.
The study included 405 people between the ages of 30 and 64, and the main characteristics of those who were gym members were the same as those who were not. “But gym members did more training than non-gym members,” said the lead author, Elizabeth Schroeder of the University of Illinois.
While it might seem clear that gym members exercise more and are healthier than non-gym members, Schroeder says this has not been directly shown before. However, the study is only designed to show a tie between gym membership and more exercise. It may be that active people like to join gyms. In the study, people who exercised as much as gym members were also in good health.
You can get the same benefits wherever you exercise. This study shows a gym membership can make you do more exercise, but other research shows that exercising outside has other help. Outdoor activity can make you feel happy about life, especially if you run through a forest.
Outdoor exercise is also more interesting than going to the gym. The first five minutes of outdoor exercise is especially helpful in making people feel good. But Schroeder says that a gym may also encourage greater exercise because it can be social and fun.
1. What did the new study find out?| A．British people are crazy about the gym. |
| B．Gym exercise is better than outdoor exercise. |
| C．Gym membership can make us healthier. |
| D．Gym is necessary for our daily life. |
| A．people between aged 30 and 64 | B．the same number of men and women |
| C．405 gym members | D．people with the same characteristics |
| A．active people; more gym exercise | B．more exercise; health |
| C．gym membership; more exercise | D．happiness; more exercise |
| A．healthier | B．happier | C．more social | D．more helpful |
| A．Women should do more gym exercise. |
| B．We should be careful with outdoor training. |
| C．Outdoor exercise is better than gym exercise. |
| D．We may make great exercise if we go to the gym. |
9 . Student newspapers across the US are facing a dark reality. As they are free to read, they are making less money than ever, meaning that such newspapers are finding it hard to survive.
Most college papers have reduced their print editions (版本). Last year, the Daily Tar Heel printed a paper four days a week. This year, it prints a paper every three days. And while it used to produce around 22,000 newspapers each time, it only makes around 10,000 now, said Erica Perel, general manager.
Increasingly, student journalists have turned their focus to digital versions of their newspapers, and the new ways that social media allows them to tell stories. They’ve adapted their skills to mirror what’s going on in the professional journalism world.
“I think we’re adapting very well...in moving away from that print edition. But it’s challenging.” said Jonathan Carter, a student at North Carolina State University. So what should student newspapers do? LoMonte said the best solution would be for universities to financially (财经的) support student journalism. University leaders like to talk about producing responsible students, he said, and journalism is a part of that.
In the meantime, campus newspapers are figuring out their financial models as they go along. Bruce dePyssler, adviser to North Carolina Central University’s Campus Echo Newspaper, said his students post one story a day online. The best stories are put together for a once-a-semester print edition.
And even if student journalists don’t go into media jobs, Perel said, “They’ve still had a great education.” “The number one thing that we teach is critical thinking (批判思考) and how to be a lifelong learner,” she said, “The ones who are living through this transition (过渡) are the ones that are going to be a lot stronger for it in the end.”
1. What do most college newspapers do to face the dark reality?| A．Improve printing quality. | B．Reduce print editions. |
| C．Lower advertising fees. | D．Increase paper price. |
| A．Continue with paper versions. | B．Ask colleges for money. |
| C．Publish more digital editions. | D．Create their own financial models. |
| A．In storytelling. | B．In problem-solving. |
| C．In logical thinking. | D．In lifelong learning. |
| A．Jonathan Carter. | B．LoMonte. | C．Bruce dePyssler. | D．Perel. |
| A．The proud history of the Daily Tar Heel. | B．Student newspapers are adapting well. |
| C．School newspapers are under pressure. | D．How to refresh traditional newspapers. |
10 . Why go to Madrid?
There may be a slight chill (寒冷) in the air, with temperatures staying around 15℃ in March, but Spain’s handsome capital is slowly starting to warm up. Even more attractive are the cultural events. A new exhibition on the living and working spaces of Spain’s greatest artist, Picasso, has just opened in the studio at the Fundacion Mapfre at Paseo de Recoletos 23. It runs until 11 May with rarely seen pieces borrowed from his family.
Later this summer, the 400th anniversary (周年) of the death of the Renaissance (文艺复兴) painter El Greco will be marked with an exciting exhibition at the Museo del Prado at Paseo del Prado from 24 June to 5 October.
How to go?
The widest range of flights is offered by Easy Jet — from Bristol, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Liverpool and Luton. British Airways and its sister airline Iberia combine forces from Heathrow and London City. Ryanair flies from Manchester and Stansted; Air Europa flies from Gatwick.
Barajas airport is 13 km north-east of the city centre and is served by frequent trains on Metro line 8, but the shortest underground journey is a bit complex (复杂) with at least one change at Nuevos Ministerios station and takes about 30 minutes.The fare (车票) to any station in the city centre is €4.50. The airport express bus runs every 15 to 35 minutes around the clock; €5 one way. It takes 40 minutes to reach the city centre. A taxi takes half the time. A flat rate of €30 covers most of central Madrid.
1. When will the exhibition about Picasso close?| A．On 23 March. | B．On 11 May. | C．On 24 June. | D．On 5 October. |
| A．Picasso’s works of art. | B．Picasso’s living and working spaces. |
| C．El Greco’s great paintings. | D．The 400th anniversary of the Renaissance. |
| A．Easy Jet. | B．Ryanair. | C．Air Europa. | D．British Airways. |
| A．Take a taxi. | B．Take a city bus. |
| C．Take Metro line 8. | D．Take the airport express bus. |
| A．Take a taxi. | B．Take a city bus. |
| C．Take Metro line 8. | D．Take the airport express bus. |
