1 . Why do we find ugly-cute animals so attractive? And what makes odd-looking creatures so cute?
Evolution (进化) plays a role. According to Austrian zoologist Erin Fekete, human attraction to childish features, such as big eyes, large heads and soft bodies, is an evolutionary adaptation that helps ensure that adults care for the young, assuring the survival of their species. Odd-looking animals such as blobfish, pugs, aye-ayes and bulldogs all share these childish qualities that cause a loving response among humans and a nature to raise and protect. And these childish characteristics increase a person’s “protective behavior, attention and willingness” to care for the individual and reduce the “possibility of aggression towards a child”, says Cyril Drouet, a researcher.
Ugly-cute animals often have other value— some, like the blobfish, live in extreme environments that they have adapted to in remarkable ways. Scientists are keen to study these animals to understand whether their biology might provide fresh ideas that could lead to treatments for human health conditions such as cancer and heart disease.
But while many ugly creatures are strongly adapted to their life in the wild and can provide numerous benefits to the ecosystems they live in, they often still don’t get as much attention as more traditionally cute and beautiful animals, which leads to many of the ugly-cute species being ignored in terms of research.
There are other culture-led factors that also cause our attraction for ugly-cute animals. “The ugly-cute thing is very fashionable.” says Rowena Packer, a lecturer of animal behavior. “This is partly caused by social media, with many social media influencers showing off pet pugs and French bulldogs on Instagram.” she says.
But there are some serious worries around this trend. Veterinarians (兽医) are calling on people not to keep a flat-faced dog, because they suffer from serious health problems. Pugs and French bulldogs which have been selectively kept experience breathing difficulties, repeated skin problems and eye diseases. So while childish features such as big eyes may make us smile, we might want to reconsider our attraction for “ugly-cute” pets.
1. What does the underlined word “aggression” in paragraph 2 mean?A.Threatening behavior. | B.Strange behavior. | C.Friendly behavior. | D.Smart behavior. |
A.They are of no interest to scientists. | B.They are less cute and attractive. |
C.They do not have unique biological feature. | D.They are not well-adapted to their environments. |
A.Influencers have started a campaign to raise awareness about ugly animals. |
B.People prefer to post pictures of ugly animals on social media rather than cute animals. |
C.Social media didn’t make it easier to spread information about animals. |
D.The ugly-cute animals shared on social media could raise people’s attraction for them. |
A.Encouraging. | B.Indifferent. | C.Concerned. | D.Excited. |
1. Whose speech did the woman listen to this morning?
A.John Miller’s. | B.David Thompson’s. | C.Alan Brown’s. |
A.Economy knowledge. | B.Risk assessment. | C.Employee motivation. |
A.Challenging. | B.Interesting. | C.Rewarding. |
A.Find a new position. |
B.Raise employees’ salaries. |
C.Improve management skills. |
1. Why did the woman choose to be a teacher as a profession?
A.Because of the pressure from her family. |
B.Because of the passion for the work. |
C.Because of a teacher’s encouragement. |
A.Being with children. |
B.Winning others’ respect. |
C.Learning different things. |
A.Lifelong learners. | B.Creative thinkers. | C.Good communicators. |
A.A movie show. | B.A birthday party. | C.A sales promotion. |
5 . New research links outdoor air pollution — even at levels considered safe — to an increased risk of diabetes (糖尿病) globally, according to a study from the VA St. Louis Health Care System. The findings raise the possibility that reducing pollution may lead to a drop in diabetes cases in heavily polluted countries such as India and less polluted ones such as the United States.
Diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases, affecting more than 500 million people worldwide. The main drivers of diabetes include eating an unhealthy diet, having a sedentary lifestyle and obesity, but the new research indicates the extent to which outdoor air pollution plays a role.
“Our research shows a significant link between air pollution and diabetes globally,” said Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, the study’s senior author and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Washington. “We found an increased risk, even at low levels of air pollution currently considered safe by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). This is important because many industry lobbying (游说) groups argue that current levels are too stringent and should be relaxed. Evidence shows that current levels are still not sufficiently safe and need to be tightened.”
While growing evidence has suggested a link between air pollution and diabetes, researchers have not attempted to quantify that burden until now. “Over the past two decades, there have been bits of research about diabetes and pollution,” said Al-Aly. “We wanted to thread together the pieces for a broader, more solid understanding.”
The researchers also found that the overall risk of pollution-related diabetes tilted (倾斜) more toward lower-income countries such as India that lack the resources for environmental mitigation systems and clean-air policies. For instance, poverty-stricken countries facing a higher diabetes-pollution risk include Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea and Guyana, while richer countries such as France, Finland and Iceland experience a lower risk. The US experiences a medium risk of pollution-related diabetes.
1. What does the underlined word “stringent” in paragraph 3 mean?A.Strict. | B.Slight. |
C.Bright. | D.Ordinary. |
A.To identify the causes of diabetes. |
B.To make better air pollution control policies. |
C.To lead the study of diabetes and air pollution. |
D.To figure out the link between pollution and diabetes. |
A.India. | B.Finland. |
C.The US. | D.Guyana. |
A.Current pollution control levels need to be tightened |
B.Diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases globally |
C.Air pollution contributes significantly to diabetes globally |
D.Poverty-stricken countries face a higher diabetes-pollution risk |
6 . The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, known as “the third pole”, or “the roof of the world”, is one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth. While biological evolution at several genomic loci (基因组位点) enabled early people in Xizang to better adapt to high altitudes, obtaining sufficient food from the resource-poor highlands would have remained a challenge.
Now, a new study of The British Academy reveals that dairy product was a key component of early human diets on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. The study reports ancient proteins from the dental calculus of 40 human individuals from 15 sites across the inner plateau.
“Our protein evidence shows that dairying was introduced onto the hinterland plateau by at least 3,500 years ago,” states Prof. Hongliang Lu, corresponding author of this study. Ancient protein evidence indicates that dairy products were consumed by diverse populations, including females and males, adults and children, as well as individuals from both upper class and lower class. Additionally, prehistoric Xizang highlanders made use of the dairy products of goats, sheep, and possibly cattle and yak. Early pastoralists (牧民) in western Xizang seemed to have had a preference for goat milk.
“The adoption of pastoralism helped to revolutionize people’s ability to occupy much of the plateau, particularly the vast areas too extreme for crop cultivation,” says Prof. Nicole Boivin, senior author of the study.
Tracing dairying in the deep past has long been a challenge for researchers. Traditionally, archaeologists analyzed the remains of animals and the interiors of food containers for evidence of dairying. However, the ability of these sources to provide direct evidence of milk consumption is often limited.
“Palaeoproteomics (古蛋白质组学) is a new and powerful tool that allows us to investigate Xizang diets in unheard-of detail,” says coauthor Dr. Shevan Wilkin. “The analysis of proteins in ancient human dental calculus not only offers direct evidence of dietary intake, but also allows us to identify which species the milk came from.”
1. What made early humans in Xizang adapt to high altitudes?A.Sufficient food. | B.Dairy products. |
C.Their strong will. | D.Natural selection. |
A.Their physical age. | B.Their daily diet. |
C.Their mental health. | D.Their social status. |
A.Failing to ensure the correctness. |
B.Taking up too much space and time. |
C.Lacking remains of ancient animals. |
D.Demanding too many professional researchers. |
A.A government work report. | B.A local radio program. |
C.A science journal. | D.A collection of anecdotes. |
7 . Cheerleading squads (啦啦队) are known for their energy and athleticism, and always add fun and excitement to any event. Most cheerleading groups have young members, so this Arizona cheerleading squad certainly stands out. Sun City Poms, which only recruits (招募) members who are over 55, has distinguished itself as a cheerleading squad that brings joy to seniors and audiences of all ages.
Established in 1979, the team consists of women aged over 55 who live in Sun City, a retirement community in Arizona. This community of active seniors women are passionate about dancing, performing and staying active, and prove that there is no age limit to what you love to do. The team has become increasingly popular, and the members are known for their energetic performances at parades, festivals and events throughout the state.
Despite the demanding schedule, the women remain committed to the team. This cheerleading squad brings joy to seniors by keeping members physically fit, building friendships, and fostering a sense of community. The Sun City Poms currently has 30members and a handful of trainees, who can join after completing a three-month class, learning two routines, and proving they have what it takes.
On March 25, the group successfully held the “Celebrate the Poms” show, which drew a crowd of over 700 people. It even included a special number from “The Flops”, who count the husbands, friends and lovers of the Poms as members.
Zirbel, in her eighties, already has a lot of memories with the group and is ready to make more. She shared that in one event alone. She estimated that she walked about three miles. Despite the tiring schedule and off days, Zirbel is not about to leave the team anytime soon.
1. What made the Sun City Poms special?A.Its founders. | B.Its members. | C.Its location. | D.Its service. |
A.Get through qualification training. | B.Demonstrate their advantages. |
C.Remain committed to the team. | D.Practice 3 routines in 2 months. |
A.To prove her energetic daily life. | B.To indicate her tiredness of the work. |
C.To show the effort involved in the event. | D.To complain about the stress of the training. |
A.No young or old learner is a teacher. |
B.When is life enough to be idle and idle? |
C.One year older, one more point of responsibility. |
D.Although the violin is old, it can still play a good tune. |
8 . A March 2023 report from Goldman Sachs estimated that AI could do a quarter of all the work currently done by humans.
The second category is jobs that require complicated interpersonal relationships like nurses, business consultants and investigative journalists. These are jobs where you need a very deep understanding of people.
The third safe zone are jobs that really require lots of mobility and problem-solving ability in unpredictable environments. Electricians, plumbers, and the like all fall under this umbrella, where you’re dealing with a new situation all the time. They are probably the hardest of anything to automate.
It’s important to note that an advanced education is not a defence against AI takeover. In many cases, more educated workers are going to be more threatened than then even the least educated workers.
In short, seeking roles in dynamic, shifting environments that include unpredictable tasks is good way to avoid job loss to AI.
A.And that could be terrible. |
B.Thankfully, it’s not all bad news. |
C.The robots really are coming for some jobs. |
D.The first would be jobs that are genuinely creative. |
E.Think of the person that works cleaning hotel rooms. |
F.That doesn’t necessarily mean all jobs that are considered ”creative” are safe. |
G.It’ll be a long time before AI has the ability to really build relationships and interact. |
9 . At 67, Joyce Faulkner thought she was looking for a holiday. Her husband, Jim, had recently died and exploring possible house swaps on the Home Exchange website felt less painful. In the end, it was not a vacation Faulkner found but a job. She left her home in Edinburgh to become mother’s help to seven-year-old twins in Varese, Italy.
“It’s halfway crazy,” she says. A house swap she was interested in didn’t work out, but the owner, Rachele, asked: “‘Do you know anyone who might help me with the children?’ I wrote back and said: ‘Tell me what that involves!’ She wrote me a little list, and I said: ‘I could do that!’ We seemed to believe in each other.”
Two months later, when Faulkner reached Varese, “the dad, Andrea, was walking towards me with the children hiding behind his legs, kind of shy, thinking: ‘Who is this woman in a long black coat?’ I don’t think it was quite Mary Poppins, but the atmosphere was immediately warm and friendly.”
Eighteen months on, Faulkner’s job no longer feels like a job. “I just feel like part of the family.” They joke: “You think you’re going back to Scotland? No, you’re staying here!” She gives English lessons, helps with the housework, meets the children from school, plays chess or table tennis with them, and takes them to the park. “It never feels like work,” she says. “It has been absolutely the perfect match.” Faulkner’s son, Steven, who lives in London, has visited her and they have cycled around the northern Italian lakes. She feels no more distant than when she lived in Edinburgh.
“You have to take the opportunity when it presents itself,” Jim once said.
“I’ll be 70 in January, but in my head, I’m 30. I still feel the same person, I have the same enthusiasm for life, the same interest in people and things. In that sense, I wish I had another 70,” Faulkner jokes.
1. Why did Joyce Faulkner search the Home Exchange website?A.To hunt for a job. | B.To buy a house in Italy. |
C.To explore holiday resorts. | D.To find a holiday home for exchange. |
A.Good luck. | B.Mutal trust. |
C.Common interests. | D.First impression. |
A.Faulkner feels less close to her son |
B.Faulkner feels quite at home while babysitting in Italy. |
C.Faulkner returned to her old business despite her advanced years. |
D.Faulkner was thought of as a typical baby-sitter at the first meeting. |
A.Caring and outgoing. | B.Strict and responsible. |
C.Devoted and passionate. | D.Humorous and independent. |
1. In what way was the handshake impressing?
A.Flexi shook hands with a human for the first time. |
B.Flexi offered to shake hands with the woman. |
C.Flexi moved his hand just as the woman did. |
A.In his head. | B.In his hands. | C.In his chest. |
A.In 1993. | B.In 2000. | C.In 2023. |
A.He is used in special situations. |
B.He is controlled by a computer system. |
C.He doesn’t need human intervention at all. |