1 . How is eating in space different from eating on Earth?
If you send astronauts into space, you have to send along food as well. But what do astronauts eat, and how do they eat it? Scientists take several factors into consideration as they plan meals for space.
First, and possibly most important, is nutrition (营养).
The lack of gravity in a spacecraft also determines what foods can or cannot be eaten in space. Meals must be packaged carefully so they won’t spill (洒落/溢出) into the cabin (one of the areas inside a spacecraft). Water or tiny bits of food could get inside a machine or electronic device and damage it.
Despite all these requirements, much of the food eaten in space is actually similar to what you might eat on any given day.
| A．Believe it or not, they also have fresh fruits and vegetables. |
| B．Keeping astronauts’ physical health is a top task for any space mission. |
| C．Food packaging is made to be as light as possible. |
| D．Taste is also important. |
| E．For the same reason, sharp knives and folks are never used on board. |
| F．Nutrition and practicality(实用) are important things to consider. |
| G．Finally, weight is an important concern. |
Mars is
Many scientists believe that studying Mars can help us find answers
3 . Getting sick is an invariable (永恒的) part of people’s lives. But their attitudes toward being sick and hospital visits vary from country to country. This difference hasn’t been more pronounced since the start of the novel coronavirus (COVID - 19) epidemic - when a great number of people are falling ill all at the same time.
The conditions in the US are getting worse quickly, which is largely due to the fact that there’s no universal healthcare system. According to the 2019 US Census, 28 million people are not covered or do not have adequate health insurance, meaning that they would probably avoid getting tested for the virus, for fear of the cost of being hospitalized.
“There is a strong financial incentive (动机) to conceal (隐瞒) symptoms, to try to keep working and caring for children, and by consequence, they’re spreading the virus... simply because they have no other choice,” wrote reporter James Hamblin on The Atlantic.
Germany, on the contrary, has one of the world’s best - developed and most expensive public healthcare systems that covers every citizen. People in Germany - who have “high levels of job security”, according to the Los Angeles Times - are also more likely to follow the quarantine measures and stay at home without having to worry about losing their jobs. Both explain why the country seems to be weathering (经受) the pandemic better than its European peers.
“The conditions to deal with the virus in Germany are among the best in the world,” said German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Japan also has universal public healthcare, but it brings another kind of problem: People tend to seek more medical care than necessary. According to Yusuke Tsugawa, a physician at Harvard University, Japan has three times more outpatient visits than in the US, and patients also stay in hospital for three times longer than in the US. This often wastes medical resources, which are even more critical and precious during a global pandemic.
“It isn’t good to do tests just to ease public anxiety,” Kentaro Iwata, an infectious disease expert at Kobe University, Japan, told Reuters. “If they test everyone with light symptoms, the medical system will puncture (破损).”
Indeed, a country’s healthcare system is the key to keeping its people safe—it’s also the key to whether a country can survive a crisis like the novel coronavirus pandemic.
1. For many people in the US, what might happen if they get infected by the novel coronavirus?| A．They will lose their job right away. |
| B．They will have to pay for treatment on their own. |
| C．They will be forced to go through a series of tests. |
| D．They will find it hard to get hospital care due to their insurance policy. |
| A．Germany has taken the strictest quarantine measures. |
| B．There is a growing concern over unemployment due to the pandemic. |
| C．Germany’s good healthcare system makes it easier to fight against the COVID—19. |
| D．It has the highest job security that people can stay at home without worrying |
| A．opposed | B．sympathetic | C．neutral | D．favorable |
4 . According to Dr. Shaison P. Ouseph, there are three main types of artificial intelligence: Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI), Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), and Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI). ANI is the only type of artificial intelligence we have successfully realized to date.
The idea of the world being controlled by self-thinking robots who want to destroy humanity is still much in science fiction, more than science fact. Some experts think that AGI and ASI are now still out of our reach, so we don’t need to worry too much about that specific situation.
However, that is not to say that AI won’t ever seriously threaten our world and society if used incorrectly. AI could easily be programmed to do something damaging. On the other hand, AI is already taking over the world in the fields of medicine and manufacturing. Many of these could change technology and industry to benefit our lives if implemented (实施) responsibly. But as we use these new systems, we must stay ahead in terms of regulating new technologies where there is potential to do harm.
For now, the greatest concern we face with regard to ANI technologies, is the situation of efficient automation causing many human jobs to become no longer needed. So we need to start thinking seriously now about how young people are going to live with these technologies.
The world is going to move forward in one direction or another. ANI is here to stay for the foreseeable future, and it’s the youth of today who are going to define the use of these technologies. Yet, there is relatively little research and information about how AI will influence young people and their transition into a world where life is changing. “This is what my team will focus on,” said Dr. Shaison.
As new systems progress we need to safeguard what is fundamentally important to human life, and make sure that our youth will continue to have autonomy (自主权) regarding their well- being and have more opportunities for success than previous generations.
1. What does the author think of robots taking over the world?| A．It is a branch of ANI. | B．It is rooted in science fact. |
| C．It is just impossible at present. | D．It should cause people great concern. |
| A．AI can be easily programmed and used. |
| B．AI development needs more creative design. |
| C．We should be cautious about the influence of AI. |
| D．We should be confident and trust AI in many fields. |
| A．The efficiency of AI machines. | B．The loss of jobs in the market. |
| C．The direction of AI technologies. | D．The guarantee of human well-being. |
| A．Necessity of AI to human life. |
| B．Youths’ adaptation to future AI. |
| C．Opportunities for the young generation. |
| D．Humanity problems caused by AI technologies. |
5 . On Sept 15, 2021, the night sky in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US, lit up and the rumble (隆隆声) of engines of a 70-meter-tall Falcon 9 rocket set off car alarms. Atop that rocket was a group of four civilians in a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft prepared to make history.
This is the first mission to Earth’s orbit crewed (当工作人员) entirely by tourists, or those not professionally trained as astronauts. For three days, the four civilians aboard the spacecraft traveled in orbit around Earth as part of the mission dubbed (被称为) Inspiration 4. The name of the mission itself is fitting.
In late 2020, the mission leader Jared Isaacman, a billionaire tech entrepreneur, announced that he would like to fund a spaceflight that differed from other billionaire space journeys. His would be part of an effort to raise funds for St Jude Children’s Hospital.
“He knew he would be using those seats to carry out his mission objective of inspiring humanity while raising money for children’s cancer research,” Scientific American wrote. In addition to Issacman, the crew included 29-year-old Hayley Arceneux, who is not only a childhood cancer survivor, but a current St. Jude physician assistant; Sin Procotor, 51, a geologist and community college teacher; and Chris Sembroski, a 42-year-old lifelong space fan who got his seat through an online raffle (抽奖活动), CNN reported.
This particular Dragon spacecraft did not visit the International Space Station, but it did reach 590 kilometers above Earth. This is “higher than the current orbit of the Hubble Space Telescope, an altitude that humans haven’t reached since the Hubble servicing missions during the space shuttle program”.
While there is certainly a long way to go before SpaceX achieves its goal of ferrying civilians to Mars at an accessible price, this mission is definitely making its mark on space travel---all for a good cause. According to CNN, at a press briefing on Sept 14, Sembroski told reporters that joining the Inspiration4 mission felt like “we’re writing the rules, we’re breaking a couple of them that NASA used to demand...We get to kind of do things our own way.”
1. What does the article tell us about Inspiration 4?| A．It’s the first mission to take four people to Earth’s orbit. |
| B．It aims to reach the orbit of the Hubble Space Telescope. |
| C．It is crewed by both tourists and professional astronauts. |
| D．It aims to inspire people and raise funds for a hospital |
| A．Its price. | B．Its equipment. |
| C．Its carrying capacity. | D．Its highest flight altitude. |
| A．To encourage civilians to travel to space. |
| B．To report on a significant journey to space. |
| C．To introduce the development of Inspiration4. |
| D．To present the advantages of the Dragon spacecraft. |
6 . When the Apollo astronauts landed on the Moon in 1969, millions of people were rather sad. The person
As a space artist, Bonestell tried to make his drawings look exciting and as true as the Moon is. He worked closely with
Even though Bonestell was interested in astronomy, he did not
In 1944, a popular magazine published a series of Bonestell’s paintings of the planet Saturn (土星). He drew Saturn as if it were seen by someone standing on each of the planet’s moons. The effects were
Many of Bonestell’s artworks had been right all along.
But he shouldn’t have felt bad. No space artist had ever before taken so many people to so many faraway worlds. In the years just before the first manned space flights, Bonestell’s artworks prepared people for the amazing space adventure
| A．to apply | B．to seek | C．to blame | D．to agree |
| A．beautifully | B．dreadfully | C．falsely | D．completely |
| A．because | B．since | C．when | D．provided |
| A．architects | B．astronauts | C．analysts | D．astronomers |
| A．would see | B．had seen | C．was seeing | D．have seen |
| A．profiles | B．photographs | C．posters | D．patents |
| A．take on | B．take in | C．take up | D．take off |
| A．drawing | B．outlining | C．photographing | D．designing |
| A．where | B．which | C．that | D．why |
| A．magazines | B．movies | C．advertisements | D．media |
| A．impressive | B．disappointing | C．scary | D．ambiguous |
| A．in | B．of | C．at | D．on |
| A．Still | B．And | C．But | D．Even |
| A．right | B．wrong | C．thrilled | D．successful |
| A．coming | B．to come | C．came | D．would come |
Perseverance, successfully landed on Mars Thursday after a seven-month trip. The six-wheeled explorer, or rover (探测器), is on a NASA mission
Perseverance has 19 cameras, two microphones
The successful landing marked the third recent visit to Mars. Last week, spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates and China
Perseverance is NASA’s fifth rover to explore Mars. With previous missions all yielding
8 . Burdon decided to host an improvised (临时安排的)graduation ceremony (典礼) for her daughter Angela in their backyard. After hers was
Angela wasn't the only one
Over six weeks, Burdon
When the
"Angela never saw anything until she came out to
"My daughter couldn’t have her official
| A．arranged | B．celebrated | C．cancelled | D．delayed |
| A．know | B．argue | C．think | D．care |
| A．spoiled | B．upset | C．frightened | D．confused |
| A．believe | B．sense | C．know | D．bear |
| A．determined | B．promised | C．hesitated | D．preferred |
| A．classroom | B．dormitory | C．home | D．hospital |
| A．claimed | B．managed | C．attempted | D．failed |
| A．disappointed | B．troubled | C．annoyed | D．surprised |
| A．busy | B．final | C．big | D．common |
| A．attended | B．expected | C．admired | D．hosted |
| A．dresses | B．masks | C．uniform | D．make-up |
| A．cake | B．prize | C．offer | D．diploma |
| A．wander | B．walk | C．greet | D．examine |
| A．anxious | B．cautious | C．helpless | D．satisfied |
| A．stage | B．room | C．street | D．campus |
| A．travelled | B．volunteered | C．stopped | D．waited |
| A．give away | B．ask for | C．agree with | D．work out |
| A．welcome | B．organization | C．treatment | D．graduation |
| A．created | B．registered | C．joined | D．accepted |
| A．guilty | B．confident | C．proud | D．optimistic |
9 . A 24-year-old female space commander(指挥员) Zhou Chengyu has been a heated topic on Weibo since Chinese state media highlighted her as one of the women involved in the successful launch of the Chang'e-5 lunar probe(月球探测器) on 23 November. Social media users have been referring to her as a "source of pride" for the country.
Starting in 2004, the Chang'e Programme consists of three stages of "orbiting", "landing" and "returning".
The Chang'e-5 mission is China's third successful Moon landing in seven years.
Most Chinese know the story of the mythological Chang'e, the Chinese goddess of the moon. People can't hear the word "Chang'e" without picturing romantic images of a moon goddess.
However, the huge amount of interest in the Guizhou Province native has not appeared to have had much of an effect on her.
| A．Her story in particular has inspired the public, considering her young age. |
| B．She refused repeated requests for interviews in order to focus on her work. |
| C．However, China has been trying to highlight strong female figures in the country. |
| D．Despite her young age, Zhou is now working at Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site. |
| E．Its aim is to gather lunar rocks and soil to help scientists learn more about the moon. |
| F．For this reason, China's mission to the moon was calling out for a strong female figure(女性形象). |
| G．China completed the "orbiting" phase by launching Chang'e-1 and Chang'e-2 lunar probes in 2007 and 2010. |
When the song was released in an online video on Nov 18, it became an instant viral
Born in Zhengzhou, Henan province, Song works as an independent songwriter along with his team there, including singer-songwriters Yu Runze, Xu An and Wu Bai. Song says that he finished the lyrics within an hour and sent it to his team via cellphone. The team finished composing(作曲) that night. They also made the music video by themselves, which was the first time that they had ever produced a music video and uploaded it online. The video of the song contains 33 photos and 2 cartoon illustrations of the couple, displaying small interactive moments, including tacit eye contact between the couple and hand touching when the couple played a swing. Nine children between 4 and 12 years old were invited to rap and sing along with the team. "When I watched the couple appearing on TV, they seemed just like any other ordinary couple and I felt close to them. With some small sweet moments, I could feel the love between the couple," says Song.
"Xi Dada" and "Peng Mama" have both become Internet buzz words, referring to the Chinese president and his popular wife. Song notes that the couple has attracted worldwide attention and even what Peng wears becomes headlines.
Yu Runze, 32, is one of the singers and also comes from Zhengzhou. She says the team started to release songs online around four years ago, mostly pop love ballads(歌曲，歌谣). Though they could make ends meet by making music, they remained unknown before this song. "We didn't expect that the song would gain so much popularity online. People share the same feeling we have about the couple, which is warm and sincere," says Yu, who is a graduate of the Qilu Conservatory of Music, Shandong province, and has released five albums since 2006.
"We want to sing the song at 2015's CCTV Spring Festival Gala."
1. What does the underlined word “hit” mean?
| A．something that is successful but confusing. |
| B．something that is popular but complicated. |
| C．something that is popular and successful. |
| D．something that is popular and instructive. |
| A．The video “Xi Dada loves Peng Mama” has been watched 4 million times. |
| B．It took Song just an hour to finish the lyrics and the composition of the song. |
| C．Song and his team started to release songs online around four years ago, mostly folk songs. |
| D．Many netizens think that President Xi Jingping and his wife are the model couple. |
| A．To introduce something about the song and its writer. |
| B．To show the influence of the couple on young people. |
| C．To introduce the team that produced the song. |
| D．To show the importance of true love. |
| A．Politics | B．Health |
| C．Entertainment | D．Economy |
