The impact of pandemic (流行病) on life expectancy (预期寿命), one of the most widely used standards to assess population health, was assessed by a study
The study revealed that women from 15 countries and men from 10 ended up
Reductions in life expectancy overall
All the countries
2 . Climate breakdown threatens to cause a global food production crisis. The UN forecasts that by 2050, feeding the world will require a 20% expansion in global water use for agriculture. It is hard to see how agriculture can feed the population of the planet, let alone toward the end of the century and beyond. Agriculture is a major cause of climate breakdown, and both river and air pollution. Industrial fishing is similarly driving ecological collapse in seas around the world.
However, at this critical time, farming (a new kind of food technology) is creating astonishing possibilities to save both people and the planet. Farming will enable the return of vast areas of land and sea to nature, greatly reducing carbon emissions (排放物). It means an end to the employment of animals, a stop to overfishing, and a dramatic reduction in cutting down forests and the use of pesticides (杀虫剂). It is the best hope for stopping the destruction of the planet and, if it is done right, it means cheap and abundant food for everyone.
We are about to welcome one of the biggest economic transformations, of any kind, for 200 years. Arguments continue about plants against meat-based diets; however, new technologies will soon make these arguments irrelevant. Before long, most food will come neither from animals nor plants, but from micro-organisms (微生物).
Not only will food be cheaper, it will also be healthier. Due to the fact that farming creates food products built up from simple components rather than broken down from complex ones, hard fats and other unhealthy components can be screened out. Meat will still be meat, but it will be grown in factories rather than in the bodies of animals. Fats will still be fats, but food is likely to be better, cheaper and much less damaging to the living planet.
1. What is the major cause of sea ecological breakdown?| A．Food production. | B．Global farming. |
| C．Industrial fishing. | D．Climate breakdown. |
| A．Its benefits. | B．Its security. | C．Its research. | D．Its limits. |
| A．Sea animals. | B．Wild plants. | C．Micro-organisms. | D．Farm products. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Disapproving. | D．Unclear. |
3 . Saving lives has always been an important mission (使命) of science. Now science, and indeed all society, are facing a new dilemma: whether or not to try and save more lives through human cloning.
The first cloning experiments in the 1950s involved frogs and toads. It was not until 1997 that scientists successfully cloned the fist mammal, the now world-famous sheep known as Dolly. Cloning techniques’ have continued to improve since then, and today there are cloned mice, salmon, and cattle.
Some scientists want to apply the methods used in cloning animals to produce skin, or organs, and other body parts for humans. One of these methods involves taking adult cells from the brain or blood and growing them into new tissues. Another more complex technique takes embryo (胚胎) cells and develops them into a wide variety of cell types and tissues. It is this planned use of human embryos that has resulted in controversy (争议) and criticism.
The cloning of human cells provides the potential to find cures and eliminate diseases. The dream of some researchers is to create a Utopian world of good health. Others question whether it is right to “Play God” in an attempt to cure the disabilities and diseases in this world.
Some of the great hopes for cloning include the utility to perform transplants, whenever they are needed, using cloned organs. For example, people with lung cancer may simply have their lungs replaced with healthy ones. Scientists also look forward to the day when people in wheelchairs can walk again, and illnesses such as Alzheinmier’s and Parkinson’s Disease can be prevented.
However, a lot of people worry about the appearance of masses of identical people, and the production of “perfect” humans for warfare or slave labor. We might even see headless human bodies being stored at hospitals for their “spare parts”. With such thought-causing possibilities for the 2lst century, human cloning will no doubt continue to receive widespread attention and scrutiny (审视).
1. What problem is science faced with?| A．Whether human cloning can help save more lives. |
| B．How to carry out human cloning scientifically. |
| C．Whether human cloning should be used for saving lives. |
| D．How to save more lives through human cloning. |
| A．It has a history of over half a century. |
| B．I develops very quickly in the 21st century. |
| C．It can protect people from diseases of any kind. |
| D．It has enabled many people in wheelchairs to walk again. |
| A．put up with | B．get along with |
| C．make up for | D．get rid of |
| A．Human body parts will be stored at hospitals for use. |
| B．Hunan cloning may become a trend in the 21st century. |
| C．Many people learn the effects of human cloning on our society. |
| D．People think humans will surely be cloned for slave labor. |
4 . Every boy and every girl expects their parents to give them more pocket money. Why do their parents just give them a certain amount?
The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family.
First of all, children are expected to make a choice between spending and saving. Then parents should make the children understand what is expected to pay for with the money. At first, some young children may spend all of the money soon after they receive it. Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until it is the right time.
In order to encourage their children to do some housework, some parents give pocket money if the children help around the home. Some experts think it not wise to pay the children for doing that.
Pocket money can give children a chance to experience the three things they can do with the money. They can spend it by giving it to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want.
| A．Some children are good at managing their pocket money. |
| B．One main purpose is to let kids learn how to manage their own money. |
| C．By doing so, these children will learn that spending must be done with a budget（预算）. |
| D．Because helping at home is a normal part of family life. |
| E．Learning how to make money is very important for every child. |
| F．They can save it for future use. |
| G．Timing is another consideration. |
5 . Most adults firmly believe that as kids reach their teens, they start to take crazy risks that get them in trouble. Do teenagers simply love taking all risks much more than adults? A recent study suggests otherwise.Scientists designed a simple experiment involving 33 teenagers and three other age groups.
In the experiment, the researchers tried to distinguish between two very different kinds of risk-taking. The first they called a willingness to take known risks (when the probability of winning is clear) and the second they called a willingness to take unknown risks (when the possibility of success is uncertain).
The study offered participants the opportunity to play two kinds of games. They had the chance to win money, with one game offering a known risk and the other offering an unknown risk. On each round of the game, each participant had to choose between taking a sure $5 and known or unknown risks of choices. In the known risk condition, people always knew the exact chance of winning more money, from as low as 13% to as high as 75%. In the unknown risk condition, researchers did not reveal the exact chances of winning.
What the scientists found was really quite surprising. It turned out that the average teenager was very hesitant when risks were known—more careful than college students or parents-aged adults, and about as careful as grandparent-aged adults. This means that when the risks were known, teenagers were not risky in their behavior at all. Only when the risks were unclear did teenagers choose them more often than other groups. Under those kinds of conditions, they were much more willing to take a risk than any other group.
The research, published in Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that adults should probably focus more energy on trying to educate teenagers about risks than limiting them. Teenagers who understand the risks associated with a decision are more likely to be careful in their behavior.
1. The two kinds of games differed in whether________.| A．the risks were willing taken | B．the chances of winning were clear |
| C．the participants could be careful | D．the choices they can make are enough |
| A．ambitious | B．anxious | C．curious | D．cautious |
| A．College students | B．Teenage participant | C．Parent-aged students | D．Grandparent-aged adults |
| A．set age limits on dangerous activities | B．encourage children to be conservative |
| C．help teens know more about risks | D．allow teens to make their own decisions |
6 . “Why do people enjoy saying that they are bad at math?” wonders Petra Bonfert, a professor of engineering at Dartmouth College. After seeing too many examples of adults “passing on mathematical anxiety like a virus,” Bonfert has an important message for math-phobic parents and educators: “We are passing on from generation to generation the fear for mathematics.”
Many people hold the view that math is inherently hard, and only people with an inborn mathematical ability can understand it. While well-meaning adults may think they’re encouraging kids by sharing their own math fears, research has shown the opposite. Research has found that the problem is particularly significant for girls, who “are especially affected when a teacher publicly announces math hatred before she picks up the chalk.” Moreover, a study published recently reported that female mathematical achievement was diminished in response to a female teacher’s mathematical anxiety. The effect was correlated: the higher a teacher’s anxiety, the lower the scores.”
Parents’ anxiety about math can have a similar effect on kids’ achievement and their attitude toward the subject. Children who received math homework help from mathematically fearful parents showed weaker math achievements than their peers, which in turn resulted in increased math anxiety for the children themselves. New research on math anxiety confirms that these parents unintentionally teach kids to expect that math will be beyond their capabilities.
Fortunately, Sian Beilock, a cognitive scientist of Barnard College, has found a surprisingly easy way for parents to stop passing on math anxiety and build their children’s math confidence. The most important finding is the importance of normalizing math at home in a way that’s relaxing and playful: from using math-themed books and stories, playing with math games and toys to cooking together. He argues that we need to teach kids that “working on mathematical skills is not unlike practicing a sport. Neither can be learned by watching others perform the activity and both require encouragement and effort. You do not need an inborn mathematical ability in order to solve mathematical problems. Rather, what is required is perseverance, a willingness to take risks and feeling safe to make mistakes.
1. Why do some people share their math fear with kids?| A．To expect kids to learn from their mistake. | B．To prove only geniuses can learn it well. |
| C．To give encouragement to their kids. | D．To stress the importance of genetic factors. |
| A．Decreased. | B．Measured. | C．Improved. | D．Influenced. |
| A．Normalizing maths at home is relaxing and full of fun. |
| B．Having an inborn math ability is essential to children. |
| C．Developing mathematical skills differs from doing a sport. |
| D．Encouragement and efforts help yield math learning success. |
| A．Math-phobic adults are to blame for math failure. |
| B．Math anxiety is nothing to be afraid of at all. |
| C．Parents and teachers pass on math fear to kids. |
| D．Risks and mistakes are what success takes. |
7 . You’re watching your favorite TV show when a commercial (广告) break starts. First you see an ad for candy. Then there’s one for fast food. In response, your stomach growls (咕咕直叫).
Suddenly, all you can think about is how much you need a snack. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Researchers from McMaster University in Canada studied the effects of junk food ads.
The researchers examined the effects of advertising junk food on more than 6.000 kids through TV commercials and other types of media. They found that kids made unhealthy food and drink choices as quickly as 30 minutes after seeing the ads.
“There is too much unhealthy food advertising out there, which appears repeatedly,” says Behnam Sadeghirad. He’s one of the researchers who led the study. “This is dangerous for younger children because they lack self-discipline and don’t know the advertised foods are healthy or not.”
Food and drink ads are everywhere, from TV to the Internet. Companies want to make sure you know about their products. They spend nearly $1.8 billion a year on food ads aimed at kids, according to a report. The Nielsen Company tracked the number of food ads that kids saw in 2015.
It found that kids watched nearly 12 food ads on TV each day. Most of these ads weren’t for healthy foods. In fact, on average, kids saw only one ad per week for fruit and vegetables. Instead, most of the ads were for fast food, candy and sugary drinks.
Jennifer Harris, a professor at the University of Connecticut, says this is a big part of the problem. “Unhealthy foods are not things we should be encouraging kids to eat more often,” says Harris." But unfortunately those are the products being advertised to them the most.”
Health experts say it’s OK to treat yourself to a cookie once in a while. But what can you do to keep from having an unhealthy snack every time you see an ad for junk food? Harris says it’s important to learn to spot the techniques companies use in their ads. “What kids can do is notice what’s going on,” says Harris. “Think about, ‘Are these the products that are really good for my physical health?’”
1. What did researchers from McMaster University find?| A．Junk food ads can affect kids’ eating habits. |
| B．Eating while watching TV is unhealthy for kids. |
| C．Food ads are more attractive than other types of ads. |
| D．There are many commercial breaks during TV shows. |
| A．Food ads are everywhere. |
| B．It’s necessary to limit kids’ screen time. |
| C．It’s hard to avoid seeing junk food ads on TV. |
| D．Companies spend large amounts of money on ads. |
| A．Get wise to ads. |
| B．Stay away from cookies. |
| C．Never see junk food ads. |
| D．Find products of good quality. |
| A．Attack of junk food ads |
| B．Tricks of the trade |
| C．Advertising of junk food |
| D．The effect of media on children |
8 . Bella arrived at the parking lot at about 12:00 p.m. She
As it happened, Peter was going to bed
Peter
| A．got | B．looked | C．fell | D．came |
| A．journey | B．time | C．drive | D．distance |
| A．relaxed | B．sleepy | C．happy | D．bored |
| A．attacked | B．pulled | C．pushed | D．held |
| A．while | B．once | C．until | D．when |
| A．terrible | B．familiar | C．broken | D．distant |
| A．delay | B．warming | C．experience | D．permission |
| A．beaten | B．hit | C．stopped | D．fixed |
| A．looked around | B．searched through | C．left alone | D．sought for |
| A．car | B．policeman | C．worker | D．train |
| A．attended | B．rushed | C．responded | D．stuck |
| A．unclear | B．unhurt | C．unfocused | D．uncertain |
| A．carefully | B．exactly | C．practically | D．violently |
| A．put | B．help | C．take | D．send |
| A．safety | B．position | C．station | D．comfort |
9 . Recently, some Chinese experts advise people to be more careful about making a “V” gesture(手势)while taking a photo, because the fingerprints may be stolen．
It is possible. If the distance between the person and a smartphone is less than half a meter，the possibility of the fingerprint being stolen will be bigger. Having fingerprints stolen can cause a lot of difficulties, as they are used in many things, including ID cards, passports and online payments. So it’s a must to pay attention to their protection and avoid them being spread on the Internet．
This kind of discussion was first raised by a Japanese research center, the National Institute of Informatics．
Zeng Qiaoyi, 19, who likes sharing selfies(自拍) on WeChat, said she is also worried about it. She said she seldom posts pictures with “V” gestures and most pictures she shares are made to be not so clear by certain software. “I blur(使……变模糊)backgrounds in selfies, hoping to hide my location,” she added．
Tan Tieniu, a scientist, said at the 2016 China National Computer Congress that using fingerprints instead of passwords or voice identification is far from safe, compared with face recognition(辨认).
But a police officer from Jiangsu Province, said locals don’t need to be overly anxious，because the cameras of many cellphones are not clear enough, and the shooting distance of most photos taken by cameras is too far.
1. What did some Chinese experts suggest?| A．Not taking a photo with a camera. | B．Not showing your fingerprints. |
| C．Not protecting the fingerprints. | D．Not sharing the photo on WeChat. |
| A．Because they can be used on online shopping. |
| B．Because they can be used to share locations. |
| C．Because they can be used to call the policeman. |
| D．Because they can be used to take selfies. |
| A．Fingerprint. | B．Face recognition. |
| C．Password. | D．Voice identification. |
| A．a map | B．a passport |
| C．a dictionary | D．a newspaper |
Have you ever imagined singing together with hundreds of other people while you are at home alone? You can do this in a virtual choir, where members record themselves while
The virtual choir was the idea of Eric Whitacre,
A virtual choir helps connect ordinary people together, enabling them
