1 . For some of us, going to the dentist for routine check-ups is a thing of the ordinary. But for many people around the world, especially those in impoverished (贫困的) areas, having dental improvement and their teeth checked simply isn’t possible. A Brazilian dentist Felipe Rossi has devoted himself to helping changing that situation.
Growing up in USA, Felipe Rossi had just obtained the Bachelor of Medicine Degree and was about to start a master’s degree in Pediatric Dentistry (儿童口腔学) when a journey to his father’s home — Balsabo in Brazil — converted his initial plan. “All locals didn’t have access to dental care, and consequently, many of them suffered deformed teeth or even loss of teeth, leading to many people not daring to laugh with mouth open.” Felipe Rossi recalled. “A desire was planted in my heart. That is, to use my skills to bring healthy smiles to people suffering from dental problems.”
With the support of his parents, Felipe formed an NGO (non-government organization) called Porsorriso to give free oral treatments to individuals with low incomes who require cleaning. fillings, crowns, restoration work and more. His team is composed of approximately 30 registered volunteers who go with him to poor towns and villages in Brazil.
Sponsorship is generally provided by two private companies. Individuals may also make donations through the ‘Smile Solidarity’ program, where they can choose monthly amounts to contribute. Porsorriso also holds regular fundraisers to afford the cost of providing free dental services around the country.
As noble as its objective is, Felipe admits that Porsorriso is “struggling to survive” because of the huge cost of providing dental work and the constant fundraising events they have to hold to keep the NGO in normal functioning. “Challenging as it is, it did bring healthy teeth as well as renewed confidence to the locals. We will continue this transformative act whatever difficulties we will face”. Felipe said with a strong will.
1. How does the author introduce the topic of the text?| A．By posing a contrast. |
| B．By reporting an event. |
| C．By assuming a situation. |
| D．By making an appeal. |
| A．The support from his parents. |
| B．The passion for dental health. |
| C．The encounter with local s lacking dental care. |
| D．The professional skills and knowledge from college. |
| A．Hopeful and diligent. |
| B．Faithful and ambitious. |
| C．Intelligent and creative. |
| D．Charitable and dedicated. |
| A．It gives free oral treatments to anyone in need. |
| B．It is cooperated by Felipe Rossi and the local authority. |
| C．It is financially supported by corporations and individuals. |
| D．It holds regular fundraisers to educate people about dental care. |
2 . Life can change in the blink of an eye. While Bridgette was in the parking lot, together with her kids, a car hit them. This left them
Soon, Chris Crowder, CEO of the school, joined her. Without delay, he
Still, this wasn’t an easy
The mother and kids were
In addition to being grateful for Bridgette and her kids’safe rescue, the heroic students who helped are also getting their
| A．trapped | B．lost | C．ignored | D．hidden |
| A．warmed | B．weathered | C．blinded | D．shone |
| A．normal | B．complex | C．puzzling | D．suspected |
| A．jumped | B．fell | C．rolled | D．slipped |
| A．followed | B．gathered | C．pulled | D．advised |
| A．fierce | B．competitive | C．urgent | D．strange |
| A．searched for | B．wandered through | C．pointed at | D．rushed into |
| A．sigh | B．scream | C．weep | D．pray |
| A．project | B．task | C．preparation | D．solution |
| A．dragged | B．appointed | C．transported | D．called |
| A．judgements | B．efforts | C．returns | D．recoveries |
| A．expenses | B．medicines | C．foods | D．wards |
| A．learn | B．heal | C．escape | D．change |
| A．honest | B．enthusiastic | C．incredible | D．optimistic |
| A．promised | B．desired | C．continued | D．deserved |
3 . Many of us remember the feeling of having our braces (牙套) regularly adjusted and retightened at the dentist’s. And interventions are based entirely upon the estimate of dentists and involve a great deal of trial and error, which can lead to too many visits to the dentist’s.
Professor Erleben and his team created a computer model that creates accurate 3D simulations (模拟) of an individual patient’s jaw, which dentists can use to predict how sets of braces should be designed to best straighten a patient’s teeth and plan the best possible treatment. To create these simulations, the computer model was used to map sets of human teeth after getting detailed CT images of teeth and the small, fine structures between the jawbone and the teeth. This type of precise digital simulation is referred to as a digital twin, a virtual model that lives in the cloud.
The virtual model can answer what’s happening in the real world, and do so instantly. For example, one can ask what would happen if you pushed on one tooth and get answers with regards to where it would move and how it would affect other teeth. The model also helps to predict the post treatment effect, achieve “visualization” of treatment, and facilitate patients to understand the plan of straightening their teeth. What’s more, it has enabled more flexible and convenient digital medical follow-up services.
The area of research that uses digital twins is relatively new. “However, we need to set up a sufficiently big database if digital twins are to really take root and benefit the healthcare industry,” Erleben said, “In the future, the virtual model can be used to plan, design and improve, and can therefore be used to operate companies, robots, factories and used much more in the energy, healthcare and other fields.”
1. What is Paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．The professional integrity of dentists. | B．The current state of dental treatment. |
| C．The procedure of retightening braces. | D．The intervention of modern technology. |
| A．Predicting treatment effect. | B．Designing a computer model. |
| C．Drawing the shape of a mouth. | D．Obtaining the details of teeth. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Curious. | C．Favorable. | D．Dismissive. |
| A．Why digital twins make a hit | B．Where virtual treatment goes |
| C．What trouble dentists encounter | D．How a virtual model aids dentists |
4 . Using a headset at home to deliver a low electrical current to the brain can relieve symptoms of depression. The approach, called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), is effective when used several times a week for half an hour at a time.
Previous trials have shown that the therapy works under medical supervision in a clinic or lab. Now, a randomised trial has demonstrated that a tDCS headset can also reduce depression symptoms when worn at home.
Several forms of electrical brain stimulation may have the potential to treat depression. With tDCS, sponge electrodes are placed on the left and right sides of the forehead, causing a mild current to flow from the left to the right. This makes brain cells on the left side more likely to fire, with some studies suggesting that activity in this region is low in people with depression.
Repeated sessions of stimulation may lead to longer term changes in the brain cells, increasing their activity levels, says team member Cynthia Fu at the University of East London. Affecting activity in this region probably alters activity in multiple areas, she says. “There are probably many brain regions causing depression.”
To see if people can benefit from using such a device at home, the team randomly assigned 174 people with moderate or severe depression to receive either a full session of stimulation from the headset or stimulation from the same device that lasted just a few seconds. People felt their skin aching at the start and end of each session.
While the depression symptoms of both groups improved on a 52-point scale, those who got the real treatment showed the most benefit, by about 9 points compared with 7, a degree of difference that is similar to that seen with antidepressants (抗抑郁药), “We found people liked having it at home,” says Fu. “Participants could build it into their day.”
1. What is the function of the headset?| A．Curing depression in patients. | B．Testing the degree of depression. |
| C．Adjusting brain’s electrical current. | D．Reducing symptoms of depression. |
| A．By making the left-brain cells active. | B．By causing a strong electrical current. |
| C．By changing the brain wave’s direction. | D．By stimulating all brain regions repeatedly. |
| A．Monitors. | B．Disturbs. | C．Limits. | D．Changes. |
| A．They feel relieved to some extent. | B．They remain relaxed in the session. |
| C．They use different kinds of headsets. | D．They are bound to rely on the headsets. |
5 . A study following nearly 30,000 older adults for more than 10 years has found six key healthy lifestyle factors can significantly reduce memory loss and those adults engaging in between four and six of the healthy lifestyle behaviors could dramatically reduce their risks of developing dementia (痴呆), even when carrying genes that increase their risks of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Six healthy lifestyle aspects were assessed: a healthy diet, regular physical exercise, active social contact, active cognitive (认知的) activity, never smoking, and never drinking alcohol,” the researchers explained in the new study. Participants were classified (分类) into the favorable group if they had four to six healthy lifestyle factors, into the average group for two to three factors, and into the unfavorable group for zero to one factor.
The study found that people with four to six healthy habits had a much slower loss of memory than those with fewer healthy habits. People with these good habits were also much less likely to get dementia than those with one or no healthy habits. Those who had two or three good habits were 30% less likely to get dementia.
The study didn’t figure out which of the six healthy habits is the best for stopping dementia or which combination is the best. However, the information did show that eating healthy seemed to help prevent memory loss the most, with brain exercise and regular physical exercise also very helpful.
About 20% of the people in the study had a gene that makes Alzheimer’s disease more likely. Even so, having several good health habits helped slow down memory loss. This shows that changing how we live can really help.
Even though each health habit helped in a different way, overall, the study found that people with more good health habits had much less memory loss than those with fewer good habits. This suggests that the choices we make in how we live can help protect our memory. The study adds to the evidence that we might be able to change our risk of memory loss.
1. What were the groups categorized based on?| A．The participants’ age. | B．What hobbies the participants got rid of. |
| C．The healthy lifestyles the participants had. | D．What the participants’ attitudes to factors were. |
| A．The favorable group was happier than the other two. |
| B．More healthy lifestyles were of more benefit to health. |
| C．Healthy habits had little impact on memory or dementia. |
| D．People with a healthy diet wouldn’t suffer a loss of memory. |
| A．A healthy diet. | B．Active social contact. |
| C．Active cognitive activities. | D．Never drinking alcohol. |
| A．Healthy Lifestyles Slowing Memory Loss | B．A Study Making A Great Breakthrough |
| C．A Healthy Diet Being The Best Lifestyle | D．Old Adults Suffering From Health Problems |
1. How much did the man weigh two months ago?
| A．About 150 pounds. | B．About 160 pounds. | C．About 170 pounds. |
| A．From a book. | B．From a friend. | C．From a cook. |
| A．Change his diet. |
| B．Learn about an author. |
| C．Start to exercise regularly. |
My husband, Robert Stone and I were enjoying a peaceful afternoon together in Barbados — our vacation destination. It was sunny and warm, and we decided it was the perfect time to go for an ocean dip.
When we were floating around, I said, “What a nice holiday! Let’s swim out, not that far but enough to be out of our depth.” But we hadn’t considered just how strong the current was on that particular day. Although we had visited Barbados several times, we didn’t realize the specific area we floated to was known for its strong current.
Noticing that we were floating in the direction of the neighboring beach, I decided to swim toward the beach we came from, against the current. I soon realized that my husband was falling behind and was suddenly too far away to even hear me. I attempted to swim to the shore to get help but struggled to push past the current. I just couldn’t get anywhere and began to scream out for a lifeguard. But no one came after a few minutes.
Just then I saw two teenage girls boogie-boarding near the shore. “Help! Help!” I screamed. Hearing my cries for help, the girls swam toward me and helped pull me onto the boogie board. One girl told me to hold on tight and tied the boogie board tether (拴绳) to her wrist. The other girl was by her side for support. They managed to swim to the shore and brought me to safety.
Grateful but still scared, I repeated that my husband was stuck farther out in the ocean. I asked for a lifeguard. The girls told me there wasn’t a lifeguard around, and they would go get him. “You can’t do that!” I told them, “Strong current!” The girls reassured me that they were in Barbados as part of a swimming camp and insisted that they were both experienced in the water.
注意：（1）续写词数应为150个左右；
（2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Before I could say anything further, they swam off with the boogie board.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Relief washed over me as the girls and Robert reached the shore.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . With the development of the Internet, many of our activities take place online. Medicine is no exception. Patients can visit doctors by phone call and video chat. Online searches for telehealth increased sharply.
Online visits are best suited to simple tasks, like refilling prescriptions (doctor’s orders), as well as diagnosing (诊断) and treating conditions that rely on a doctor’s sense of sight — pink eye, rashes, etc. — or a patient’s description of symptoms, such as back pain. Telehealth also works better at monitoring chronic (慢性的) conditions, such as congestive heart failure, where doctors don’t need to provide a new diagnosis but simply check up on patients, monitor symptoms and discuss the side effects of medication. Diabetes (糖尿病) is also a good fit: people can upload blood sugar levels, dosing, and other information for a doctor to review electronically.
Mental health service is easy to access digitally, too, though it comes with advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, doctors may not be able to see body language, which can sometimes be a clue to understanding a client’s well being, and a poor Internet connection can be particularly unfavorable during a difficult conversation. On the other hand, there are patients who like it better. “Some health care providers even say having that extra bit of distance makes people more honest and less stressed to talk about difficult topics,” says Annette Totten, a professor who has studied telehealth.
When done right, Totten’s research shows telehealth benefits both health care providers and patients. It can significantly reduce hospital admissions, which frees beds for people in need of special care. And it’s a lot more convenient for patients, adds Michelle Greiver, a family doctor.
1. How is the medicine industry changing?| A．convenient | B．popular | C．difficult | D．digital |
| A．Heart attack | B．High fever | C．Uncomfortable eye | D．Back injury |
| A．Because it reduces their pressure. |
| B．Because it saves them transportation cost. |
| C．Because it saves them time on the road. |
| D．Because it makes it easier for them to contact the doctor. |
| A．Negative. | B．Supportive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．application | B．effects | C．development | D．advantages |
1. How did the man probably injure himself?
| A．Skateboarding. |
| B．Playing football. |
| C．Involving in a car accident. |
| A．His head. | B．His leg. | C．His stomach. |
| A．Sunday. | B．Tuesday. | C．Wednesday. |
| A．6． | B．5． | C．4． |
10 . In the not-so-distant future, the doctors who treat our diseases might be tiny machines that swim through our bodies. Movies like Fantastic Voyage have long played with the idea of making machines the size of a single cell (细胞) — today advances in robotics have brought the idea ever closer to reality. In my lab, I’m just trying to build such intelligent, or smart, microrobots.
Tiny organisms (living things) , such as bacteria (细菌), have many intelligent behaviors, and if we can make robots copy some of them, it’s very exciting. The way bacteria travel across their environment is unbelievable. At first, they kind of just aimlessly move around, but when they start sensing food, like an amino acid (氨基酸) they will move gradually in that direction. As a roboticist, you could imagine making tiny robots that can do the same thing.
For example, look at something like E. coli (大肠杆菌). It has receptors on its surface that can sense amino acids around it. It can change how it’s moving. It can rebuild or repair itself. In fact, E.coli does all these sowell that some researchers are using it as part of their tiny machines. They are having their microrobots get free rides from it, and letting it do all the sensing for them and direct their movements.
We’re already using smaller and smaller medical tools for operations, like catheters (long thin pipes) that can travel deep into your brain to treat a tumor (肿瘤) or a blood clot. Next, we will put microrobots into the body that can travel into even smaller spaces and treat disease at an early stage. Imagine a device that can treat a blood clot deep in your brain that can’t be reached with existing catheters.
It’s important to note, though, that we may not actually need something as powerful as artificial intelligence (AI) in these cases. You can still build an extremely useful microrobot with a low degree of intelligence. For example: If a microrobot notices a tumor, it can slowly move in that direction, and carry medicine directly to that part. It might only have the intelligence of bacteria but could still be unbelievably effective.
1. Which of the following inspires the author’s work?| A．Bacteria’s ability to stay alive. | B．Movies about tiny machines. |
| C．Tiny organisms’ behaviors. | D．New advances in robotics. |
| A．Letting E.coli work for their tiny robots. | B．Using microrobots to sense amino acids. |
| C．Asking robots to direct bacteria’s movements. | D．Changing tiny machines into bacteria’s drivers. |
| A．They are unlikely to be widely used by doctors. |
| B．They are unable to get to tinier areas in the body. |
| C．They will be smaller than microrobots in the future. |
| D．They can help doctors treat disease at an earlier stage. |
| A．To show microrobots can treat tumors very easily. |
| B．To show AIs important role in developing tiny robots. |
| C．To explain the connection between AI and microrobots. |
| D．To explain limited intelligence is enough for microrobots. |
