1 . Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, who together identified a slight chemical change to messenger RNA,were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine this year.
Dr. Karikó, the 13th woman to win the prize, had come to the United States from Hungary two decades earlier when her research program there ran out of money. She was preoccupied by mRNA, which provides instructions to cells to make proteins. Defying the decades old belief that mRNA was clinically unusable, she hold the view that it would stimulate medical innovations.
She and Dr. Weissman had their first chance meeting over a copy machine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1998. At the time, Dr. Weissman was desperate for new approaches to a vaccine (疫苗) against HLV, which bad long proved impossible to defend against. A physician who had tried and failed for years to develop a treatment for AIDS, he wondered if he and Dr. Karikó could team up to make an HIV. vaccine.
For years, they were at a loss. Mice vaccinated with mRNA became inactive. Countless experiments failed. They wandered down one dead end after another, But eventually, the scientists discovered that cells protect their own mRNA with a specific chemical modification (修饰). So they tried making the same change to mRNA manufactured in the lab before vaccinating it into cells It worked.
At first, other scientists were largely uninterested in taking up that new approach to vaccination. But two biotech companies soon took notice: Moderna, in the United States, and BioNTech, in Germany. Then the coronavirus emerged. Almost instantly, Drs. Karikó and Weissman’s work came together with several factors of different research to put vaccine makers ahead of the game in developing shot.
Brian Ferguson, an immunologist at the University of Cambridge, said. “The work of Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman in the years prior to 2020 prevented tens of millions of deaths and helped the world recover from the worst pandemic in a century. They richly deserve this recognition.”
1. The underlined word “defying” (paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to “ ”.| A．challenging | B．confirming | C．re-emphasizing | D．stating |
| A．They teamed up for the treatment for AIDS in Hungary. |
| B．They protected their mRNA with a chemical modification. |
| C．They persevered until they made a change to lab-made mRNA. |
| D．They manufactured mRNA in mice despite their countless failures. |
| A．they took no notice of others’ ignorance |
| B．they caught attention of two biotech companies |
| C．their work helped avoid the loss of countless lives |
| D．their work prevented the outbreak of the pandemic |
| A．Chemical Changes Identified in the Pandemic |
| B．Approaches Adopted to Defend Against HLV |
| C．Nobel Prize Awarded to Covid Vaccine Pioneers |
| D．mRNA Manufactured in a University Lab in USA |
2 . A new study shows homing pigeons (鸽子) combine precise internal compasses and memorized landmarks to retrace a path back to their home—even four years after the previous time when they made the trip.
Testing nonhuman memory keeping is challenging in research studies. “It’s rare that there is a gap of several years between when an animal stores the information and when it is next required to get it back,” says Dora Biro, a zoologist at the University of Oxford. In a recent study, Biro and her colleagues compared domestic homing pigeons’ paths three or four years after the birds established routes back to their home from a farm 8.6 kilometers away. The study built on data from a 2016 experiment in which pigeons learned routes in different social contexts during several flights-on their own or with peers that did or did not know the way.
Using data from GPS devices temporarily attached to the birds’ backs, the researchers compared the flight paths a group of pigeons took in 2016 with many of the same birds’ routes in 2019 or 2020, without the birds visiting the release site in between. Some birds missed a handful of landmarks along the way, but many others took “strikingly similar” routes to those they used in 2016, “It was as if the last time they flew there was just the day before, not four years ago,” says Oxford zoologist and study co-author Julien Collet.
The team found that the pigeons remembered a route just as well if they first flew it alone or with others and performed much better than those that had not made the journey in 2016. “The result is not surprising, but it provides new confirmation of homing pigeons’ remarkable memory. It closes the distance a little bit between our overconfident human cognitive (认知的) abilities and what animals can do,” says Verner Bingman, who studies animal navigation at Bowling Green State University and was not involved in the study.
1. What does paragraph 1 mention about homing pigeons?| A．The time of leaving home. | B．The location of their birth. |
| C．The ways they navigate home. | D．The reasons for their taking trips. |
| A．Through questionnaires. | B．Through information assumptions. |
| C．Through lab experiments on animals. | D．Through comparative analysis of data. |
| A．Prediction method. | B．Tracking method. |
| C．Expert consultation. | D．Literature consultation. |
| A．They are underestimated. | B．They have been declining. |
| C．They are much lower than humans’. | D．They have never been confirmed. |
3 . The Mona Lisa is the famous Leonardo da Vinci painting of a woman with a mysterious smile. This week, the painting gave up a secret.
Scientists using X-rays to examine the chemical structure of a small part of the painting discovered a technique Leonardo used in the work. An oil paint used for it was a special, new chemical mixture, which suggests that the Italian artist was in an experimental mood when he worked on the painting in the 16th century.
“He loved to experiment, and each of his paintings is completely different technically,”said Victor Gonzalez, a chemist who has studied the chemical element (成分) of several works by Leonardo and other artists. The researchers found a rare lead compound (铅化合物) — plumbonacrite, in Leonardo’s first layer of paint. The discovery proved that da Vinci most likely used lead oxide to thicken and help dry his paint. The paint in the study is about the thickness of a human hair, lying in the top right area of the painting.
The scientists looked into its atomic structure using X-rays, moving particles at the speed of light, permitting researchers to look deeper into the paint structure. “ Plumbonacrite is really a fingerprint of his recipe, as it’s the first time we can chemically confirm it,” Gonzalez said.
Dutch artist Rembrandt may have used a similar mixture when he was painting in the 17th century. Gonzalez and other researchers have found plumbonacrite in his work, too. Leonardo is thought to have put lead oxide powder, which has an orange color, in the oil to make it thicker and dry faster. “What you will get is an oil that has a very nice golden color,” Gonzalez said. “It flows more like honey.”
But the Mona Lisa — said by the Louvre to be a portrait (肖像) of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine silk businessman — and additional works by Leonardo still have other secrets to tell. “What we are saying is just a little brick in the knowledge,” Gonzalez said.
1. What’s the new discovery about the Mona Lisa?| A．A new explanation of the secret smile. |
| B．A new chemical element used in the painting. |
| C．The secret of the woman in the painting. |
| D．The structure of the paint da Vinci used. |
| A．Open secret. | B．Widespread use. | C．Hidden element. | D．Long-term dream. |
| A．It helps to make many things into paints. |
| B．It helps to make paints easy to deal with. |
| C．It helps to keep the paintings last long. |
| D．It helps to make paintings rich in color. |
| A．It has more secrets to tell the world. |
| B．It’s the portrait of a silk businessman. |
| C．It’s well kept in bricks in the Louvre. |
| D．It has a mixture of different art styles. |
4 . In 1970s, a psychologist named J. P. Guilford conducted a famous study of creativity known as the nine-dot puzzle (九点谜题). He challenged research subjects to connect all nine dots using just four straight lines without lifting their pencils from the page. All the participants limited the possible solutions to those within the imaginary square. Only 20 percent managed to break out of the confinement (束缚) and continue their lines in the white space surrounding the dots.
The fact that 80 percent of the participants were effectively blinded by the boundaries of the square led Guilford to jump to the sweeping conclusion that creativity requires you to go outside the box. The idea went viral. Overnight, it seemed that creativity experts everywhere were teaching managers how to think outside the box. The concept enjoyed such strong popularity that no one bothered to check the facts. No one, that is, before two different research teams-Clarke Burnham with Kenneth Davis, and Joseph Alba with Robert Weisberg-ran another experiment.
Both teams followed the same way of dividing participants into two groups. The first group was given the same instructions as the participants in Guilford’s experiment. The second group was told that the solution required the lines to be drawn outside the imaginary box. Guess what? Only 25 percent solved the puzzle. In statistical terms, this 5 percent improvement is insignificant as this could be called sampling error.
Let’s look a little more closely at the surprising result. Solving this problem requires people to literally think outside the box. Yet participants’ performance was not improved even when they were given specific instructions to do so. That is, direct and clear instructions to think outside the box did not help. That this advice is useless should effectively have killed off the much widely spread — and therefore, much more dangerous — metaphor (比喻) that out-of-the-box thinking boosts creativity. After all, with one simple yet brilliant experiment, researchers had proven that the conceptual link between thinking outside the box and creativity was a misunderstanding.
1. What did the nine-dot puzzle study focus on?| A．Visual perception. |
| B．Thinking patterns. |
| C．Practical experience. |
| D．Theoretical knowledge. |
| A．To test the catchy concept. |
| B．To contradict the initial idea. |
| C．To collect supporting evidence |
| D．To identify the underlying logic. |
| A．Groundless. | B．Inspiring. | C．Fruitless. | D．Revealing. |
| A．Puzzle Solving: A Key To Creativity |
| B．Thinking Outside the Box: A Misguided Idea |
| C．Nine-Dot Puzzle: A Magic Test |
| D．Creative Thinking: We Fell For The Trap |
5 . For 85 years, the Harvard Study of Adult Development has tracked an original group of 724 men and more than 1,300 of their male and female descendants (后代) over three generations, asking thousands of questions and taking hundreds of measurements to find out what really keeps people healthy and happy.
Through all the years of studying these lives, one crucial factor stands out for the consistency and power of its bond to physical health, mental health and longevity: good relationships.
In 2008, researchers telephoned the wives and husbands of Harvard Study couples in their 80s every night for eight nights. Researchers spoke to each partner separately and asked them a series of questions about their days.
On days when these men and women spent more time in the company of others, they were happier. Like most older people, those in the Harvard Study experienced day-to-day rises and falls in their levels of physical pain and health difficulties. But researchers found that the people who were in more satisfying relationships were cushioned (缓冲) somewhat from these ups and downs of mood—their happiness did not decline as much on the days when they had more pain. Simply put, their happy marriages seemed to have a protective effect.
Elizabeth Gillespie, a therapist of couples, stated that although most of us found that our experience of relationships might be hard, and at times, impossible, it is essential to our well-being.
Today we live in much more complicated environments, so meeting our social needs presents different challenges. We might be sitting on a gold mine of vitality that we are not paying attention to, because it is hidden by the shiny appeal of smartphones or pushed to the side by work demands.
1. What’s the purpose of the Harvard Study of Adult Development?| A．To study their lives over three generations. |
| B．To reveal the secret to health and well-being. |
| C．To track the descendants of an original group. |
| D．To study the relationship between health and happiness. |
| A．By working with other researchers. |
| B．By tracking specific groups of people. |
| C．By helping participants with social difficulties. |
| D．By comparing the results from different people. |
| A．To provide evidence for the bond of health and longevity. |
| B．To introduce the concept of physical pain and health difficulties. |
| C．To show the negative impact of unhappy marriages on older people’s mood. |
| D．To support the positive impact of satisfying relationships on people’s lives. |
| A．Having good social connections. |
| B．Declining pains and difficulties. |
| C．Overcoming ups and downs of mood. |
| D．Experiencing rises and falls of physical health. |
Travel six hours northwest of Sydney, and you’ve reached the astronomy capital of Australia. Warrumbungle National Park is a nature and star-lover’s dream. This land is home to the Southern Hemisphere’s first Dark Sky Park, which means you’ll be treated to nights of no light pollution and out of this world stargazing. Besides, the Warrumbungles has several adventurous hikes. The Breadknife and Grand High Tops walk is considered one of the best in Australia!
Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National ParkKu-Ring-Gai Chase is the second oldest national park in Australia. We love this park for its proximity (邻近) to Sydney (a quick 45-minute drive from the city), significant Aboriginal (澳大利亚土著的) sites and breathtaking scenic views. There are many walks you can do here. You can also go kayaking (皮划艇), stopping at some of the secluded beaches that line the park.
Bouddi National ParkLocated on the Central Coast, Bouddi National Park is one for beautiful landscapes and beaches. Just 90 minutes from Sydney, Bouddi is a hidden treasure. The beautiful water makes this park an ideal destination during summer, but it also provides a fantastic point for whale watching over the winter. You can experience Bouddi National Park on a day trip. Pack your picnic goods and head on the 8.5 km (one-way) Bouddi Coastal Walk — it’ll give you a perfect taste of the best of what the park has to offer!
Dorrigo National ParkAs a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Dorrigo National Park is one to explore! Located just shy of four hours from Byron Bay, the park is part of the Gondwana Rainforests and has been made over millions of years. You’d be right then to expect some of the most stunning waterfalls here. For one of the best experiences, head to the Skywalk lookout. This elevated walkway will take you right into the heart of the rainforest, providing soaring views 21 meters over the rainforest all the way to the coast.
1. If you were a fan of stargazing and hiking, which park would interest you most?| A．Bouddi National Park. | B．Dorrigo National Park. |
| C．Warrumbungle National Park. | D．Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park. |
| A．Going kayaking. | B．Watching whales. |
| C．Visiting Aboriginal sites. | D．Seeing breathtaking waterfalls. |
| A．It is the oldest national park in Australia. | B．It offers a perfect view of the Gondwana Rainforests. |
| C．It’s about four hours drive from Sydney. | D．It’s known for adventurous hikes along the coast. |
1. What is the conversation mainly about?
| A．Fighting fires. | B．Detecting fires. | C．Using fires. |
| A．Around 50. | B．About 400. | C．Over 8600. |
| A．Size of a car. | B．Size of a plane. | C．Size of a sports field. |
| A．Saving animals. | B．Saving the trees. | C．Saving humans. |
8 . The quote “Travel far enough, you meet yourself.” by English author David Mitchell may seem cryptic (含义隐晦的) and silly to many. But if you reflect on the meaning of this statement there’s actually something very deep about it.
The more experiences you have in life, the more you will find yourself diverging out (分歧) into new and different places, both physically and mentally. If you travel far enough, you will eventually find yourself back at the same place you started from, but your mind will be stretched by all of your journeys along the way. There are a few different ways we can interpret a phrase like travelling far enough. If you think about it literally, there is probably some amount of distance that we need to go. In doing so when we get to our destination, we will see everything with new eyes.
We may be surprised by what we see and change our outlook on life. This interpretation could apply to how people interact in their everyday lives. People have prejudices, stereotypes (刻板印象) and judgments towards other people based on where they live or grew up. When we travel outside those communities or countries, we learn to appreciate those differences rather than hold them against others.
Another interpretation is one that focuses on feeling confident and comfortable with ourselves while being far away from where we normally hang out and spend time, at home or work. It’s easy to get on a track where we see our habits and routine as comforting. But it’s important that we push our boundaries if we are ever going to make any kind of progress in life.
So take a leap into unknown territory. Explore places that you haven’t been to before. You can change your viewpoint and gain some perspective on who you are as a person.
1. What does the author think of “Travel far enough, you meet yourself.”?| A．Stupid. | B．Confusing. |
| C．Negotiable. | D．Logical. |
| A．Travelling can make us more open. |
| B．We can discover true selves in travelling. |
| C．Travelling far enough changes who we are. |
| D．We should avoid judging others while travelling. |
| A．Travel to far places. | B．Expand our comfort zone. |
| C．Focus on positive feelings. | D．Quit old habits and routines. |
| A．How Can We Walk Out of Our Comfort Zone? |
| B．How Do We Change Our Mindset and Feel Comfortable? |
| C．What Does Travelling Alone Teach Us About Ourselves? |
| D．What Does “Travel Far Enough You Meet Yourself” Mean? |
9 . “I was dead for 67 minutes. It’s a miracle that I’m here today.” Those are the words of Bruce Richardson, who survived a cardiac arrest (心脏骤停) in July 2016 thanks to the quick actions of his friends and the first responders who refused to give up.
It was an early summer morning, a typical Saturday. Bruce volunteered as usual in the community center. “I had no symptoms that there was any problem. It was a completely normal morning; I felt fine,” he shared. “I was visiting with friends. Then, I passed out. What happened next I know from what others have told me.”
Bruce’s friend, Jack, had learned how to perform CPR, and he quickly began chest compressions. Another friend, Doug, dialed 911 and the operator walked him through compressions until first responders arrived. Once the ambulance arrived, the paramedics tried five times to restart Bruce’s heart with an AED. By this time, Bruce had been without a heartbeat for over 30 minutes, often when time of death is called. On the phone with an emergency room doctor. one of the paramedics was instructed to try two AEDs simultaneously (同时). It worked; Bruce’s heart began to beat again. Incredibly, he awoke the next day and was able to communicate. After a week, Bruce made a full recovery and left the hospital.
Since Bruce’s cardiac arrest, he has since been able to resume a normal life with some differences. He now is a passionate CPR advocate. He has shared his story in the news, and last year he was a guest speaker at the Association’s Indianapolis Heart & Stroke Ball to encourage people to spread the message of CPR. Finally, Bruce shared his story in a video now being used to promote American Heart Association Hands-Only CPR kiosks installed around the country.
1. What made Bruce’s survival from a severe heart attack possible?| A．The doctor’s first aid without delay. |
| B．His friends’ proper guidance on performing CPR. |
| C．His volunteer experiences in the community center. |
| D．The instant actions of his friends and the first responders. |
| A．To advocate the application of CPR. | B．To appeal to more people to volunteer. |
| C．To share his struggle for a normal life. | D．To enhance people’s awareness of fitness. |
| A．Hard work will pay off one day. | B．The knowledge of first aid counts. |
| C．Learning to live in the present matters. | D．Ease your mind when panic arises. |
| A．A research paper. | B．A book review. |
| C．A news report. | D．A course advertisement. |
10 . Scientists have shown that bees have some surprising math skills. Now, new study shows that bees can even be trained to tell the difference between odd and even numbers. Before this, humans were the only animals known to have this ability.
In 2018, researchers in Australia discovered that bees could understand the idea of “zero”. The researchers were perplexed, since only a few animals, like dolphins, monkeys, and some birds, had shown that they understood zero. Later, the same scientists showed that bees could be trained to add and subtract (减).
In the study, researchers divided honeybees into two control groups. They showed bees cards containing printed shapes that numbered from one to ten. One group was trained to fly to even-numbered cards, which earned them a sugar water treat if they successfully completed the task. If they flew to an odd-numbered card, they received a sour liquid. The second group had a similar approach, but the numbers were reversed(相反的). An odd card would earn them a sweet treat and an even card would give them a sour liquid. Researchers continued this lesson until the bees succeeded at least 80% of the time.
Then, they added a new challenge. They had the bees choose between cards with 11 and 12 shapes on them. The bees had never seen these numbers in their training. Even so, they succeeded 70% of the time.
The reason for this study is that the scientists believe that studying bee brains might help us learn how to build better and faster computers. After all, a bee’s brain is about 86,000 times smaller than a human brain. How does it handle such complicated ideas? Unless the brain structures for processing numbers aren’t so complicated. Then, the scientists built an extremely simple computer system with just five connections called neurons(神经元) , and they were able to train it to tell the difference between even and odd numbers up to 40.
1. What does the underlined word ‘‘perplexed’’ in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Tolerant | B．Creative | C．Puzzled | D．Discouraged |
| A．By mixing the two drinks. | B．By drawing the right shapes. |
| C．By removing correct numbers. | D．By landing on specified cards. |
| A．Finding potential technology innovations. |
| B．Teaching bees different means of learning. |
| C．Speeding the learning behavior of humans. |
| D．Training bees to serve mankind more easily. |
| A．Bees Calculate Numbers like Humans | B．Scientists Train Bees to Count Numbers |
| C．Odds and Evens Are Significant to Bees | D．Bees Can Learn Odd and Even Numbers |
