1 . A man paralyzed (瘫痪的) in 2011 has regained the ability to stand and walk with the help of implants (植入物) placed in his brain and spinal cord.
The patient, Gert-Jan Oskam, was told he would never walk again after a biking accident. Now, using the implants, “we’ve read the thoughts of Oskam and translated these thoughts into stimulation (刺激) of the spinal cord to reestablish voluntary movement,” said Grégoire Courtine, a neuroscientist in Switzerland.
The technology enables natural control over the movements of Oskam’s legs and he can walk and stand without support. “Months ago, I was able, for the first time after over ten years, to stand up and have a beer with my friends,” Oskam says. “That was pretty cool.”
The new technique involved placing two implants in Oskam’s brain. When he wants to move, the implants read his brain signals and send that information to sensors on a device on his head. A computer uses these signals to predict how Oskam intends to move, then turns his intentions into commands and sends these commands to another implant in the spinal cord. Finally, the spinal implant stimulates Oskam’s muscles according to his intended movement. Through this “digital bridge”, the researchers re-opened a line of communication between Oskam’s brain and spinal cord.
For now, the device is still at the experimental stage. Next, the researchers would like to be able to make the device’s hardware, which Oskam carries in a backpack, more compact (小巧). Harvey Sihota, CEO of the U.K. Charity Spinal Research, says the technology still has a long way to go before becoming available to the public, but the results are “very encouraging”.
1. How might Oskam feel after the implants were put in?| A．Cheerful. | B．Secure. |
| C．Disappointed. | D．Uncomfortable. |
| A．The brain implants. | B．Sensors on his head. |
| C．A computer. | D．The spinal implant. |
| A．Mass-produce it. | B．Improve its hardware. |
| C．Explore its other functions. | D．Test it on a larger sample size. |
| A．Brain Implants Cure Paralyzed Man Completely |
| B．Paralyzed Man Walks Again Using His Thoughts |
| C．Digital Bridge Connects Paralyzed Men Closely |
| D．New Technology Offers Hope For Biking Accident Victims |
| A．He lives far away from the company. |
| B．His bicycle was broken. |
| C．Taking the bus is the most convenient. |
1. How did Anna know the position?
| A．From the official website. |
| B．From a newspaper. |
| C．From her friend. |
| A．An assistant designer. | B．A junior designer. | C．A senior designer. |
| A．Working experience. |
| B．Performance on the job. |
| C．Relationship with colleagues. |
| A．In a month. | B．In two months. | C．In three months. |
1. Where will Gina go?
| A．Thailand. | B．France. | C．America. |
| A．By car. | B．By air. | C．By train. |
| A．To save some expenses. |
| B．To avoid getting along with others. |
| C．To plan her trip freely. |
1. What is Nancy going to do?
| A．Go on a business trip. | B．Attend a meeting. | C．Hold a party. |
| A．4:15. | B．4:45. | C．5:15. |
| A．Play with Paul. |
| B．Cook for Paul. |
| C．Help Paul finish his homework. |
1. Who helped Helen a lot?
| A．Her history teacher. | B．Her math teacher. | C．Her English teacher. |
| A．She wanted to stick to her dream. |
| B．It was an activity organized by her high school. |
| C．The school is in her hometown. |
| A．She was a middle school teacher. |
| B．She was an elementary school teacher. |
| C．She was a full-time tutor. |
8 . The most hated day of the week is misunderstood. When the Boomtown Rats, an Irish band, released “I Don’t Like Mondays” in 1979, the song became an instant hit.
What many do recognise all too well is the difficulty of gathering the energy to get out of bed on Monday mornings in order to face the week ahead. Many bosses argue that starting off the week in person in the office creates good energy. However, plenty of employees beg to differ.
A paper published by the Journal of Applied Psychology, found that people tend to be more ill-mannered on Mondays, and grow more polite as the week unfolds. The authors have diagnosed a new condition, Mondayitis, which is defined. as “a systemic illness with collections of symptoms including tiredness, light-headedness, dry mouth and headache”. These symptoms typically appear on the first working day after a period off work, which could be a weekend or a longer holiday. They can lead sufferers to call in sick, decide to work from home or, if they do show up in the office, come across as detached (冷漠的) and unavailable. Mondayitis appears to be infecting other days of the week.
However, the covid-19 pandemic has led many people to re-evaluate their work-life balance. A lawyer in London who spends weekends working on cases likes to ease into the formal workweek with an elegant breakfast in a fancy restaurant. A broader movement is promoting the idea of a four-day work week, one arrangement of which would make Monday part of the weekend. Less ambitiously, and more realistically, asocial-media campaign for “bare-minimum Mondays” argues for a gentle start to the week.
You may have prepared or merely enjoyed a more elaborate meal than a sandwich. You may have gone for a walk in the park or simply lay in bed. Either way, you almost certainly cleared your head. When revived and spirited, you will have a fresh start.
1. What does the underlined part “beg to differ” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Approve. | B．Object. | C．Submit. | D．Complain. |
| A．They are ill-mannered but ready to help others. |
| B．They may suffer from tiredness or light-headedness. |
| C．They tend to infect others with their bad performance. |
| D．They want to come to the office rather than work from home. |
| A．Start to work early. | B．Grab a quick meal. |
| C．Take a walk in the park. | D．Have a tight schedule. |
| A．To tell us ways to tackle Mondayitis. | B．To explain how to gain work-life balance. |
| C．To offer tips on how to keep fit on weekdays. | D．To persuade us not to work too hard on Mondays. |
10 . If you’re in search of some botanical inspiration for the summer, just look to the following!
Sky Garden — London
Situated on the 35th floor of the iconic “Walkie-Talkie” building in central London, this stunning garden consists of over three stories, combining Mediterranean and South African plantings. The garden temperature here is monitored around the clock to mirror the conditions these plants would experience in a warm temperate climate.
Bambalan — Bristol
Bristol’s Bambalan restaurant appeared in 2016. Known for its leisurely atmosphere, it’s located right in the middle of the city centre. Hidden in plain sight above Bristol’s busy and noisy city centre, the roof terrace is a true hidden garden. With Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food on the menu, this is the ideal place to bring a group, and enjoy the views and tasty treats.
Library of Birmingham — Birmingham
Hidden away on the seventh floor of Birmingham’s public library is a scenic rooftop garden offering an extremely quiet spot to enjoy a good book in the sun. Created entirely by volunteers and reached via glass elevator, the bright garden offers visitors spectacular views over the city. 3, 500 varieties of plants in this garden have been carefully selected to ensure the terrace will offer blooms all year round, so that visitors to this unique library can enjoy the inspiring views.
New Lanark Roof Garden — New Lanark
With impressive views from the roof of an old mill (磨坊) building in the heart of the New Lanark World Heritage Site, this garden isn’t one to miss. Created on the 9, 000 square feet roof of our historic mill, the New Lanark Roof Garden is the largest of its kind in Scotland. Imaginatively designed, the garden contains decorative planting with over 70 different plants and shrubs, a water feature and animal sculptures.
1. What can you do in Bambalan?| A．Make special flower gifts. | B．Buy beautiful jewels. |
| C．Walk in the countryside. | D．Enjoy tasty food. |
| A．Sky Garden. | B．Bambalan. |
| C．Library of Birmingham. | D．New Lanark Roof Garden. |
| A．Plants. | B．Food. | C．Books. | D．Animals. |
