1 . Video calls are common, but have you imagined being able to stretch the person on the other end of the line? Scientists are making this a reality. Researchers at the University of New South Wales, Australia, have invented a soft skin stretch device (SSD), a haptic (触觉的) device that can recreate the sense of touch.
Haptic technology imitates (模仿) the experience of touch by stimulating (刺激) localized areas of the skin in ways that are similar to what is felt in the real world through force, vibration (震动) or motion.
The new technology overcomes problems with existing haptic devices. The research team introduced a new method to recreate the sense of touch through soft, artificial “muscles”.
“Our three-way directional skin stretch device, built into the fingertips of the wearable haptic glove we also created, is like wearing a second skin,” said Thanh Nho Do, senior author of the study.
It works like this: Imagine you are at home and you call your friend who is in Australia. You wear a haptic glove with the SSDs and your friend also wears a glove with 3D force sensors. If your friend picks up an object, it will physically press against your friend’s fingers. And their glove with 3D force sensors will measure these interactions. The force signals can be sent to your glove so your device will generate the same 3D forces, making you experience the same sense of touch as your friend.
The haptic devices could be applied in various situations, allowing users to feel objects inside a virtual world or at a distance. This could be especially beneficial during such times like the COVID-19 pandemic when people rely on video calls to stay connected with loved ones. Or it could be used in medical practices. Doctors can feel a patient’s organ tissues (器官组织) with operation tools without touching them.
1. What’s the best title of this passage?| A．The Use of A New Product | B．A New Invention — Soft Skin Stretch Device |
| C．Different Haptic Devices | D．The Development of Haptic Technology |
| A．A travel brochure. | B．A health magazine. |
| C．A science and technology journal. | D．A doctor’s diary. |
| A．The advantages of the new haptic glove. |
| B．The applications of the new haptic technology. |
| C．An explanation of how the haptic device works. |
| D．A personal experience of using SSDs during a video call. |
| A．It could replace video calls as a way to communicate. |
| B．It could be used for recreating organ tissues. |
| C．Doctors could perform operations from a distance. |
| D．Users could feel remote objects in a realistic way. |
2 . One day, a mime (哑巴) is visiting the zoo and tries to earn some money as a street performer. As soon as he starts to draw a crowd, a zookeeper pulls him into his office. The zookeeper explains that the zoo’s most popular attraction, a gorilla, has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance at the zoo will fall off. He offers the mime a job to dress up as the gorilla, so the mime accepts.
The next morning the mime puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before the crowd comes. He soon discovers he can sleep, play and make fun of people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mime — he feels the job funny.
However, with days going by, he begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his. Wanting to win back his audience, he climbs to the top of his cage, crawls across a partition (隔墙), and dangles (摇晃地悬挂着) from the top to the lion’s cage first. The lion gets angry at this. The scene is a fuel to the crowd.
At the end of the day he is given a raise for being such a good attraction — well, this continues for some time. The crowds grow larger, and the mime’s pay keeps going up.
Then one day when he is hanging over the lion he slides and falls. The mime is terrified. He starts screaming “Help me!”, but the lion is quick. The mime soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says, “Shut up you fool! Do you want to get us both fired?”
1. Why does the mime accepts the zookeeper’s offer?| A．Because he wants to make some money. | B．Because the zoo is popular with people. |
| C．Because he doesn’t like being a mime. | D．Because he likes performing at the zoo. |
| A．Hard and tiring. | B．Dangerous but exciting. |
| C．Boring but well-paid. | D．Easy and funny. |
| A．frightening | B．disappointing | C．familiar | D．exciting |
| A．The lion fell onto the ground. | B．The mime was bitten by the lion. |
| C．The lion was played by a person. | D．The mime was fired by the zoo. |
3 . Day Trips out of New York City: Fun for Kids and Families in Summer
These four fun and easy day trips out of New York City will add pleasure to your family’s summer. Take a picnic and drive to any of these kid-friendly destinations (目的地) .
Weir Farm National Historic Site and Art Center735 Nod Hill Rd., Wilton, CT 06897
1 hour 30 minutes from NYC
Weir Farm is a 68-acre United States national park for art. At the beginning of the 20th century, the farm was the summer home of American Impressionist Julian Alden Weir. Weir and artists in his time painted the landscape’s hills, forests and gardens, changing the beautiful countryside setting into Impressionist masterpieces (杰作) .
The farm is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm daily.
Storm King Art Center1 Museum Rd., New Windsor, NY 12553
1 hour 40 minutes from NYC
Founded in 1960, Storm King is a 500-acre outdoor museum located in New York’s Hudson Valley. Here, visitors can experience sculpture (雕塑) amid grasslands, hills, and under the open sky. Spend an afternoon picnicking and enjoying the center’s special combination of art and nature.
The site is open from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm every day except Tuesday.
Historic Huguenot Street81 Huguenot St., New Paltz, NY 12561
1 hour 45 minutes from NYC
Historic Huguenot Street is a 10-acre National Historic Landmark District. The Huguenot settlement changed over time, and the site helps visitors understand the historic forces that have changed America by teaching about Native and enslaved African peoples as well as Dutch and French settlers.
The Historic Huguenot Street’s Museum Shop is open Thursday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Brookhollow’s Barnyard301 Rockaway Valley Rd., Boonton, NJ 07005
1 hour from NYC
Brookhollow’s Barnyard, a family New Jersey petting zoo, offers walk-through and drive-through farm experiences to families. Pigs, horses, goats and more as you walk or drive through the farmyard.
Walk-through tickets are available (可获得的) from Wednesday through Saturday. The drive-through experience is available on Sunday.
1. How long does it take you to drive to Storm King Art Center from NYC?| A．1 hour. | B．1 hour 30 minutes. | C．1 hour 40 minutes. | D．1 hour 45 minutes. |
| A．Weir Farm National Historic Site and Art Center. | B．Historic Huguenot Street |
| C．Brookhollow’s Barnyard. | D．Storm King Art Center. |
| A．On Tuesday. | B．On Monday. | C．On Sunday. | D．On Thursday. |
4 . Tyler Quick Fan Club
Being a member of the Tyler Quick ( TQ ) fan club is so much fun! You can keep up with the latest news and take part in many exciting member events. All members will receive our New Member’s Pack. It contains a membership card, a free signed poster, and a copy of TQ’s third album Speeding Up. The New Member’s Pack will be delivered to уоur home, and will arrive a week or so after you join the fan club .
TQ is loved all around the world. You can join from any country, and you can use the membership card for one year. The TQ fan club has three types of membership: Pacer, Speeder and Zoomer.
What You Get | Pacer ($20) | Speeder ($40) | Zoomer ($60) |
| Regular emails and online magazines | ♫ | ♫ | ♫ |
| Information on dates for concerts | ♫ | ♫ | ♫ |
| TQ’s weekly video messages | ♫ | ♫ | ♫ |
| Monthly picture postcards | ♫ | ♫ | |
| A TQ fan club calendar | ♫ | ♫ | |
| Invitations to special signing events | ♫ | ||
| 20% off concert tickets | ♫ |
Check it out!
◎Join before May 10 and you’ll receive a $ 10 discount on your membership fee!
◎There is a $4 delivery fee for every New Member’s Pack.
◎At the end of your first year, you can either renew or update it at a 50% discount.
Whether you are a Pacer, a Speeder, or a Zoomer, you will love being a member of the TQ fan club. For more information, or to join, click here.
1. What do we know about the New Member’s Pack?| A．It has three items inside. |
| B．It is only given to Zoomers. |
| C．It includes TQ’ s second album. |
| D．It takes about 10 days to arrive. |
| A．Discounted concert tickets and a calendar. |
| B．Regular emails and signing event invitations. |
| C．Concert information and postcards every month. |
| D．Video messages every month and online magazines. |
| A．Become a Zoomer for $60. |
| B．Update your membership for $4. |
| C．Get a New Member’s Pack for free. |
| D．Renew your membership at half price. |
5 . Growing up in an Italian-American household was, for me, pretty special. My mother, Gina, an immigrant (移民) from Calabria, held onto so many of her family’s traditions that at times, in spite of the fact that I was living in the United States, our home felt like part of Italy.
To this day, my mother only speaks to me in Italian, and our conversations are, for the most part, in her mother tongue. And most of those conversations are about food. For us, Italian food is an important part of our lives.
My mom grew up on a farm where the fruits of their labor directly turned into the food on the table, and wasting any of it was unacceptable. Every day was “Thanksgiving” because times were tough, so how food found its way onto the table was a holy (神圣的) matter. One of the greatest lessons my mother taught me in the kitchen is to cook what you have on hand, and to never let anything go to waste.
So, when I take a perfect little arancini (意大利饭团) out of the hot oil, I am immediately transported back to my childhood. I am a little girl getting off the bus and running through the back door to the smell of the food. This small snack emblematizes so many important parts in my life about my heritage through food.
Heritage food is Sunday dinner with the family. When we recreate dishes like that, we feel a sense of pride and also a sense of continuity. Heritage food is the love we receive from our parents and grandparents, and it’s the love we in turn give to our children and grandchildren. Heritage food is food that makes you feel safe and protected wherever and whenever you eat it.
Eating arancini, and all the other recipes my mother continues to make here in the U.S. after leaving Italy, allows her to teach me who I am, where I come from, and why I should be proud of it all.
1. What can we learn about the author’s mother?| A．She is very tough on her children. |
| B．She refuses to learn to speak English. |
| C．She thinks her life in the U.S. special. |
| D．She values her family’s traditions a lot. |
| A．She enjoyed the food her mother prepared. |
| B．This holiday was very important for her mother. |
| C．Her family treasured the food that didn’t come easy. |
| D．The food was delivered to her family on Thanksgiving. |
| A．Symbolizes. | B．Balances. | C．Judges. | D．Replaces. |
| A．How childhood experiences change one’s life. |
| B．Why learning to cook is important for a mother. |
| C．How the family heritage is taught through food. |
| D．Why mothers are necessary in children’s education. |
6 . A few years ago, I felt like I was stuck in confusion. So I decide to follow in the footsteps of the great American “philosopher”, Morgan Spurlock, and try something new for 30 days. The idea is actually pretty simple. Think about something you’ve always wanted to add to your life and try it for the next 30 days. It turns out,
There are a few things I learned while doing these 30-day challenges. The first was as I started to do more and harder 30-day challenges,
So what are you waiting for?
| A．I also figured out that if you really want something badly enough, you can do anything for 30 days |
| B．In fact, they’re a ton of fun |
| C．In fact, I think they’re not practical |
| D．I renewed myself while sticking to the challenge |
| E．I wanted to do something for the first time in my life |
| F．The next 30 days is going to pass whether you like it or not |
| G．30 days is just about the right amount of time to add a new habit or get rid of a habit |
7 . “Have a nice day!” may be a pleasant gesture or a meaningless expression. When my friend Crystal says “Have a nice day” with a smile, I know she sincerely cares about what happens to me. I feel loved and secure since another person cares about me and wishes me well.
“Have a nice day. Next!” This version of the expression is spoken by a salesgirl at the supermarket who is rushing me and my groceries out the door. The words come out in the same tone with a fixed procedure. They are spoken at me, not to me. Obviously, the concern for my day and everyone else’s is the management’s attempt to increase business.
The expression is one of those behaviors that help people get along with each other. Sometimes it indicates the end of a meeting. As soon as you hear it, you know the meeting is at an end. Sometimes the expression saves us when we don’t know what to say. “Oh, you just had a tooth out? I’m terribly sorry, but have a nice day.”
The expression can be pleasant. If a stranger says “Have a nice day!” to you, you may find it heart-warming because someone you don’t know has tried to be nice to you.
Although the use of the expression is an insincere, meaningless social custom at times, there is nothing wrong with the sentence except that it is a little uninteresting. The salesgirl, the waitress, the teacher, and all the countless others who speak it without thinking may not really care about my day. But in a strange and comfortable way, it’s nice to know they care enough to pretend they care when they really don’t care all that much. While the expression may not often be sincere, it is always spoken. The point is that people say it all the time when they like.
1. How does the author understand Crystal’s words?| A．Crystal encourages the author to stay happy. | B．Crystal really worries about the author’s security. |
| C．Crystal shows her anxiety to the author. | D．Crystal really wishes the author a good day. |
| A．The salesgirl cares about me. | B．The salesgirl says the words as a routine. |
| C．The salesgirl is rude. | D．The salesgirl is bored. |
| A．as a habit | B．encouragingly | C．sincerely | D．as thanks |
| A．Have a Nice Day—a Heart-warming Greeting | B．Have a Nice Day—a Polite Ending of a Conversation |
| C．Have a Nice Day—a Social Custom | D．Have a Nice Day—a Pleasant Habit |
8 .
Some festivals are held to honor the dead or to satisfy the ancestors, who might return either to help or to do harm. For the Japanese festival Obon, for example, people should go to clean graves, light incense and lamps, and play music.
Harvest and Thanksgiving festivals can be very happy events.
The most energetic and important festivals are the ones that look forward to the end of winter and to the coming of spring. In China there are dragon dances and carnivals and families celebrate the Lunar New Year together.
People love to get together to eat, drink, and have fun with each other. Festivals let us enjoy life, be proud of our customs and forget our work for a little while.
| A．Festivals can also be held to honor famous people. |
| B．The country is covered with pink snow-like cherry flowers. |
| C．People are grateful because their food is gathered for the winter. |
| D．Because they think that this will lead the ancestors back to earth. |
| E．Some Western countries have very exciting carnivals such as Easter. |
| F．Different festivals throughout the world are celebrated in different ways. |
| G．Festivals and celebrations around the world are held for different reasons. |
9 . Born in Ayrshire, in 1759 to William Burness, a poor farmer, Robert Burns was the eldest of seven children. He spent his youth working on his father’s farm, but in spite of being poor he also read a lot. His father employed a teacher for Robert and his younger brother Gilbert. At l5 Robert was the principal worker on the farm and this encouraged him to start writing. It was at this age that Robert wrote his first poem Handsome Nell.
When his father died in 1784, Robert and his brother became partners on the farm. However, Robert was more interested in the romantic nature of poetry than the hard work of farming.
However, at the point of giving up farming, his first collection Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect was published and received much praise from critics. This, together with pride of being a parent, made him stay in Scotland. He moved around the country, finally arriving in Edinburgh, where he joined the circles of the artists and writers who were called the “Ploughman Poet”.
In a matter of weeks he was changed from a local hero to a national celebrity (名人). The fame did not bring a fortune and he took up a job to make additions to the low income. While working he continued to write, contributing songs to the likes of James Johnson’s Scots Musical Museum and George Thomson’s A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs for the voice. In all, more than 400 of Robert’s songs are still in existence.
The last years of Robert’s life were devoted to writing great poetic masterpieces such as The Lea Rig, Tam o’Shanter and A Red, Red Rose. At the age of 37, he died of heart disease caused by the hard physical work he did when he was young.
On the day of his burial tens of thousands of people came to watch and pay their respect. However, his popularity then was nothing compared to the heights it has reached since. On the anniversary (周年纪念) of his birth, Scots both at home and abroad celebrate Robert Burns with a supper — a celebration which would undoubtedly make him proud.
1. What can we learn about the childhood of Robert Burns?| A．He was born to a rich family. |
| B．He was lucky to receive education. |
| C．He worked in a factory at an early age. |
| D．He was taught by his parents and brothers. |
| A．Ctitical. | B．Doubtful. | C．Favourable. | D．Uncaring. |
| A．He went on writing while working. |
| B．He helped other writers create poems. |
| C．He moved abroad and lived a hard life. |
| D．He became the richest writer in Scotland. |
| A．The history of Scottish poetry. |
| B．The life story of a Scottish poet. |
| C．The development of English arts. |
| D．The introduction of Scottish culture. |
10 . Seattle is believed to be the first major U.S. city to stop using plastic straws (吸管) , according to Seattle Public Utilities. The eco-conscious city has been an environmental leader in the U.S., working to reduce the amount of trash that goes into landfills.
A decade ago, the city passed a law requiring that all single-use food-service items be degradable or recyclable. But straws were not included because there were no other good choices. So straws stayed, with the environmental problems.
Most plastic straws aren’t heavy enough to make them through recycling sorters and can ruin an otherwise good load of recycling. Or they end up getting blown out of trash cans and finally in the oceans, hurting marine wildlife.
Strawless Ocean says that 71 percent of seabirds and 30 percent of turtles have some kind of plastic in their stomachs. The organization says plastic can increase the death rate of marine life by 50 percent.
Now customers at stores, restaurants, food trucks have to find another way to get liquid into their mouths. Degradable paper straws are allowed under the ban. People who have a medical need to use a straw are not included.
Any law-breaking activity may result in a fine of up to $250, but city officials say they would work with businesses to make the changes. In September, 150 business took part in Strawless in Seattle, a try to reduce the use of plastic straws. In that month alone, 2.3 million plastic straws were removed from the city.
1. Why were straws kept out of the law ten years ago?| A．They were handled properly. |
| B．They caused fewer problems. |
| C．They weren’t easily replaced. |
| D．They attracted little attention. |
| A．They are difficult to recycle. |
| B．They lower turtles’ birth rate. |
| C．They destroy recycling sorters. |
| D．They are more accepted than paper ones. |
| A．It brought about lots of fines. |
| B．It received positive responses. |
| C．It had made Seattle strawless. |
| D．It affected businesses’ profits. |
| A．Seattle Bans the Use of Food-service Items |
| B．Seattle Works to Protect the Environment |
| C．Seattle Successfully Bans People from Using Straws |
| D．Seattle Becomes the First Major US City to Ban Plastic Straws |
