1 . COVID-19 shutdowns forced people out of work and pushed tens of millions into poverty worldwide. Governments tried hard to provide aid. It was easy in a small country, but difficult for a country with large population and vast rural areas.
Researchers have been finding ways to identify areas of wealth and poverty in satellite images. Through some satellite data and aerial images of one town or another, you can sort of tell whether it’s wealthy or not. Wealthier homes tend to have metal roofs while poor homes tend to have thatched roofs. Wealthier neighborhoods have paved roads and bigger plots of lands, more spaced out.
The researchers use the system to identify about 60,000 people to receive benefits. The advantage of the satellite imagery and phone data approach is that it’s extremely fast and very convenient.
| A．It was opposite in a big country. |
| B．How do they locate the neediest people? |
| C．So there’s a lot of information in the images. |
| D．Most importantly, it’s very cheap to carry out. |
| E．Worse still, it’s not so economical as a house-to-house survey. |
| F．However, in general, poorer people will just have feature phones. |
| G．What the researchers did next was to target the neediest people in those regions. |
2 . Around 6,200 years ago, farmers living on the eastern edges of Europe, in what is now Ukraine, left their villages. They moved into an area between the modern cities of Kiev and Odessa. They built new settlements up to 20 times the size of their old ones. Scientists believe the civilization might be an early attempt at urbanization. But it isn’t clear whether the sites, or perhaps the earliest cities, were fully inhabited (居住) year round and there is heated debate over what they were for.
This puzzling culture, known as the Cucuteni-Trypillia, predates the earliest known cities in Mesopotamia. Researcher Monica Smith, the author of Cities: The First 6.000 Years, thinks the very large sites may have had something in common with Gobekli Tepe in modern Turkey. It is a building complex which is at least 10,000 years old and seems to have been a place where people gathered together periodically for special gatherings.
By contrast, scientist Johannes Muller believes the very large sites were fully occupied all year round. But the inhabitants left the lightest of footprints in the landscape, and no human remains have been found. “Not a finger, not a tooth,” says researcher Alexey Nikitin. The evidence is extremely difficult to collect because Trypillians periodically burned their houses down in a controlled way.
Uruk and Tell Brak, which arose in Mesopotamia early in the 4th millennium BCE, are usually considered the world’s first cities. Their remains point to an increased density (密度) of habitation and a hierarchical (等级制度的) social structure-two features that are considered essential to the definition of a city. But the Trypillian sites don’t meet either of those standards.
Scientists John Chapman and Bisserka Gaydarska agree, saying. “Trypillian sites were a social system based on the belief that everyone was equal.” These were cities, but of a very different kind from the slave-owning (拥有奴隶的) societies of Mesopotamia a few centuries later. And our definition of a city may need expanding, argue Chapman and Gaydarska.
1. What might have been the purpose of the Trypillian sites according to Monica?| A．Protecting cities. | B．Attracting settlers. |
| C．Holding events. | D．Entertaining villagers. |
| A．It has little clear evidence. |
| B．It is mainly based on unusual ideas. |
| C．The data he collected is not convincing. |
| D．The research method he used is unscientific. |
| A．Trypillia had more houses. |
| B．Trypillia was densely populated. |
| C．Trypillia was a society full of equality. |
| D．Trypillia created a greater civilization. |
| A．Prehistoric remains in Ukraine |
| B．A different urban life of Trypillians |
| C．Mesopotamia’s slave-owning societies |
| D．The mysterious culture that invented civilization |
1.活动内容；2.活动效果。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 标题已给出，文中不得透露个人真实信息。
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4 . Once we reach the age of 60 or 65, we all look forward to retirement and living a/an
David
“It is two buses and a 20-minute walk to get to the shop,
On 22 June, when the senior
| A．rewarding | B．promising | C．relaxing | D．adequate |
| A．ever | B．still | C．once | D．already |
| A．celebrated | B．prepared | C．designed | D．conducted |
| A．in turn | B．in vain | C．on purpose | D．as usual |
| A．spends | B．costs | C．takes | D．pays |
| A．in spite of | B．regardless of | C．in place of | D．on account of |
| A．book | B．gift | C．charity | D．toy |
| A．diagnosed | B．occupied | C．connected | D．replaced |
| A．imagined | B．forecast | C．remembered | D．received |
| A．sharp | B．delightful | C．negative | D．familiar |
| A．senior | B．artist | C．author | D．painter |
| A．hardly | B．usually | C．particularly | D．rarely |
| A．shortest | B．funniest | C．longest | D．busiest |
| A．hide | B．reserve | C．check | D．cancel |
| A．apparent | B．physical | C．social | D．specific |
| A．had | B．kept | C．became | D．turned |
| A．put out | B．gave away | C．set aside | D．asked for |
| A．hides | B．runs | C．hangs | D．lies |
| A．success | B．inspiration | C．shame | D．celebrity |
| A．interviews | B．arguments | C．comments | D．negotiations |
5 . NASA is making preparations to send a crew to the moon who will explore the lunar surface with the hope of constructing a stable habitat. Although the American space agency focuses on just sending astronauts, other companies are looking further into the future for when humans will colonize the natural satellite.
Experts at Money, a company for consumer credit products, released the first-ever moon loan guide that reveals living on the lunar surface would cost $325,067 a month.
“With the Earth becoming increasingly populated and space technology advancing, it won’t be long before lunar living becomes the new normal,” reads the study. The team from Money used various factors to calculate the cost of a house on the moon: raw materials needed to build a house, the special materials needed to build on the moon’s atmosphere, astronauts required to travel to build, and the average cost of transporting materials to the moon.
According to the moon loan guide, the first fully functioning house on the moon would be $48, 454, 063, which is a high price for a home. The price includes adding life-saving details to homes such as air seals, industrial-strength air-conditioners and heaters. “Generating energy is vital when living in such extreme conditions, and therefore the cost of some supplies may force you to consider some alternative options. The most efficient way to generate electricity on the moon is to buy a small nuclear reactor costing S1. 3 million, “Money shares in the study. “Alternatively, 34 solar panels would generate enough electricity to run one house and cost only $23, 616 in comparison.”
The guide also reveals the most ideal locations on the moon, with “Sea of Rains” being considered” the perfect family suburb” — this region sits at the north and is one of the largest impact craters in the Solar System.
1. What’s the purpose of NASA sending a crew to the moon?| A．To encourage companies to release moon loan. | B．To colonize the moon alone. |
| C．To explore the moon for natural resources. | D．To build a lasting living place on the moon. |
| A．Materials needed to build a house on the moon. |
| B．The cost of looking for the most ideal location on the moon. |
| C．Astronauts needed to travel to build a house on the moon. |
| D．The average cost of transporting materials to the moon. |
| A．Lunar living won’t take long to become a reality. |
| B．The first house on the moon will be the most expensive home. |
| C．You will definitely buy a nuclear reactor to generate electricity on the moon. |
| D．The perfect location on the moon for living is the largest impact crater in the Solar System. |
| A．The first loan guide about living on the moon. |
| B．The moon-the most ideal living place for humans. |
| C．NASA will send astronauts to the moon. |
| D．Living on the moon has become possible. |
6 . I first came to Berwickshire for a job-to be the Ranger for the Berwickshire Marine Reserve.I was then Senior Ranger for St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve and I set up my own business, In Our Nature, offering wildlife journeys,walks,talks and courses in 2020. There’s so much I love about Berwickshire.Its stunning scenery. Its variety of landscapes and habitats and range of amazing wildlife, both above and below the water. Its friendly people. In places you can feel like you are a million miles from anywhere, when in reality you’re just an hour’s drive from Edinburgh.
The thing that supports everything on the Berwickshire Coast is its varied and fascinating geology(地质).The jewel in the crown is Siccar Point. With its world-famous non-conformity(均变)，it’s considered the birthplace of modern geology. The geology not only shapes the landscape, but it also impacts on the wildlife, forming varied habitats from steep sheltered valleys and towering cliffs to sheltered sandy bays.
There’s nothing I like more than being out in nature and sharing my passion with others, so starting up In Our Nature was a no brainer. In the warmer months I offer tours on land and sea to help folk enjoy the amazing wildlife and scenery of the Berwickshire Coast. In the darker months my online courses help people learn about wildlife in the hope that it will increase their enjoyment of the marine and coastal environments they spend time in.
My favourite spot on the Berwickshire Coast has got to be a place called Petticowick. The views up the coast and inland to the Mire Loch are second to none. It’s a place where you can marvel at geology which covers unimaginable periods of time. You can listen to and watch thousands of seabirds that return to the cliffs to breed each spring. Or witness all the amazing activity of the breeding seal colony on the beach below during the early winter.
1. Why did the author go to Berwickshire?| A．To do sightseeing. |
| B．To make friends. |
| C．To work in a reserve. |
| D．To study wildlife. |
| A．The highest part. |
| B．The most attractive part. |
| C．The valueless part. |
| D．The advanced part. |
| A．By providing online courses. |
| B．By sharing her experiences. |
| C．By offering tours on land. |
| D．By organizing trips to the sea. |
| A．Modern geology needs further study. |
| B．Petticowick should be well preserved. |
| C．People should not take advantage of nature. |
| D．The author is enthusiastic about Berwickshire. |
7 . A student who was preparing to graduate from school sent out invitations to her family in the hope they would be able to attend on the day.
It wasn’t until a
The card politely informed her that her
It
The image of the card has
| A．newspaper | B．book | C．letter | D．card |
| A．hoped | B．imagined | C．realized | D．reported |
| A．order | B．health | C．faith | D．fame |
| A．teachers | B．relatives | C．friends | D．classmates |
| A．congratulate | B．praise | C．forgive | D．respect |
| A．rule | B．reward | C．gift | D．result |
| A．quickly | B．naturally | C．suddenly | D．accidentally |
| A．in danger | B．in trouble | C．in return | D．in need |
| A．reads | B．tells | C．shows | D．spreads |
| A．moved | B．bought | C．designed | D．built |
| A．annoyed | B．satisfied | C．mixed | D．acquainted |
| A．addressed | B．attached | C．limited | D．exposed |
| A．invitation | B．ticket | C．envelope | D．stamp |
| A．understand | B．know | C．love | D．influence |
| A．tired | B．ashamed | C．scared | D．proud |
| A．made | B．won | C．gained | D．passed |
| A．relieved | B．surprised | C．terrified | D．confused |
| A．picture | B．flower | C．tear | D．smile |
| A．stranger | B．engineer | C．professor | D．student |
| A．mean | B．wonderful | C．selfish | D．brave |
8 . Imagine you’re moving to a new country on the other side of the world. Besides the geographical and cultural changes, you will find a key difference will be the language. But will your pets notice the difference? It was a question that nagged at Laura Cuaya,a brain researcher at the Neuroethology of Communication Lab at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest.
Cuaya set out to find the answer. She and her colleagues designed an experiment with 18 volunteer dogs—including her two Border Collies, Kun Kun and Odin—to see if they could differentiate(区分) between two languages. Kun Kun and Odín were used to hearing Spanish;the other dogs Hungarian. The dogs sat still within an MRI machine, while listening to an adaptation from the story The Little Prince. They heard one version in Spanish,and another in Hungarian.
Then the scientists analyzed the dogs’ brain activity and they found a different activity pattern for one language versus(与……相比)the other. Andics, who leads the lab where the study took place, said, “The finding suggests that dogs’ brain can differentiate between these two languages. In terms of brain imaging studies, this study is the very first one which showed that a non-human species brain can discriminate between languages. ” They also found that older dogs brains’ showed bigger differences in brain activity between the two languages,perhaps because older dogs have more experience listening to human language.
Amritha Mallikarjun, who wasn’t involved in this study but has been working on similar research about dogs and language, said, “It is a very exciting study because it shows that the ability to grasp the sounds and rhythms of a familiar language is something accessible to non-humans.”“And while this work relied on brain imaging,” Mallikarjun said, “it would be worth investigating whether dogs could differentiate between languages in behavioural studies, too.”
1. What does the underlined phrase “nagged at” probably mean in paragraph 1?| A．Astonished. | B．Troubled. | C．Benefited. | D．Dominated. |
| A．tell different languages apart | B．adapt to a new environment |
| C．understand the Little Prince | D．make sense of Spanish and Hungarian |
| A．Researchers tested the dogs in random order. |
| B．It is a breakthrough on non-human brain imaging. |
| C．Diverse methods were adopted during the study. |
| D．The dogs must keep moving during the study. |
| A．Previous work has met many kinds of limitations. |
| B．Brain imaging studies are likely to be very successful. |
| C．Non-humans are less likely to understand a familiar language. |
| D．Behavioural studies on dogs will be a new research in the future. |
Known as a ”voice catcher“ in his social circle, 38-year-old Long Qing is working to record dialects and
The native of Changsha, Hunan province, has an acute appreciation for sounds and voices, and his previous job as
Long Qing
10 . The rapid and uncontrolled expansion of today’s cities is causing anxiety not only among urban planners and architects, but also experts in the field of public health. They are alarmed that the disorder of the urban expansion is robbing the population of its basic health and well-being through environmental pollution, inadequate housing and the increasing numbers of neighbors who do not know neighbors.
Beijing, a city of over 21 million residents, is an example of this social isolation. Until the early 1980s, the Chinese capital, was constructed as quantities of Siheyuan. This open structure greatly strengthened contact between neighbors, encouraged the sharing of resources, and formed close relations between families. Because of these characteristics, these structures were described as “collections of small rural villages”. Until the mid-1980s, only a few skyscrapers disrupted the harmony of the landscape. Today Beijing has the look and feel of a modern city, where these “small rural villages” have been replaced by towering skyscrapers. This striking change is not limited to outer structures; it has also dramatically changed the closeness of human relations.
Physical isolation has destroyed the local sense of solidarity (团结), and contributed to the destruction of what were once united family groups. As the distance between home and the workplace has also increased considerably, workers now find themselves devoting what was once valuable family time to exhausting commutes in overcrowded buses or subways.
The disordered growth of today’s cities can no longer be ignored. The great challenge is how to improve the quality of urban life by ensuring harmonious growth. Skyscrapers should not be the only view people can see in a city. Old-fashioned but unique architecture reflects history, character — even the culture of a city. Cities should learn from the experiences of other cities with similar characteristics. This effort requires not only the participation of urban planners but public health and environmental experts, politicians, and fundamentally, the communities themselves.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．People in the city don’t know their neighbors. |
| B．Experts are concerned about housing problems. |
| C．Cities’ disordered development has caused problems. |
| D．Environmental pollution is harmful to people’s basic health. |
| A．People in Beijing become isolated. |
| B．Siheyuan in Beijing becomes precious. |
| C．The outer structure of Beijing becomes messy. |
| D．Skyscrapers make Beijing become international. |
| A．Loss the citizens’ sense of responsibility. |
| B．People’s freedom to enjoy the leisure time. |
| C．Reconstruction of the united family groups. |
| D．Workers being worn out on the way to work. |
| A．Cities should completely follow the pattern of other cities. |
| B．The development of a city is at the expense of its elegance. |
| C．Old-fashioned architectures and skyscrapers can coexist in a city. |
| D．Communities play the most important role in harmonious growth of cities. |
