1 . New research from the University of Portsmouth has shown a marked increase in shipping in the North East Atlantic. Scientists now warn that more monitoring is required to help protect sea life.
Researchers at the University of Ponsmouth have discovered that rates (率) of shipping in the North East Atlantic area rose by 34 per cent in a five-year period. The research is the first detailed survey of shipping activity in the North East Atlantic. Researchers used data from over 530 million vessel (船) positions recorded by Automatic Identification System(AIS). They looked at the change in shipping between 2013 and 2017 across ten different vessel types. In total the study area covered 1.1 million km², including waters off Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany,Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal. Spain, and the UK.
Lead author, James Robbins said: “This change is likely to put more pressure on the marine (海洋的) environment, and may influence the protection of at-risk species. Renewed monitoring effort is needed to make sure that protective measures are enough to save species under threat in a changing environment.”
Some of the greatest shipping increases were found in areas close to the Spanish coast. The Espacio Marino de la Costa da Morte saw a rise of 413 percent in vessel activity. It is an area used to protect seabirds.
Dr. Sarah Marley, Visiting Researcher at the University of Portsmouth, said: “Shipping is the most widespread human activity in our oceans, carrying a set of threats-from unnoticeable effects like underwater noise pollution to serious results when ships hit whales.”
Professor Alex Ford. from the University’s Institute of Marine Sciences, said: “Given the well-documented effects that shipping can have on the marine environment, it is necessary that this situation continues to be monitored-particularly in areas used to protect vulnerable (脆弱的) species which may already be under pressure.”
1. What can we say about the new research?| A．It started in 2013. | B．It is the first of its kind. |
| C．It was carried out by AIS. | D．It covers the whole Atlantic. |
| A．Rapid population growth. |
| B．Rising global temperatures. |
| C．The huge increase in shipping. |
| D．The disappearance of marine life. |
| A．Shipping plays an important role in the local economy. |
| B．Shipping can be a danger to the marine environment. |
| C．Noise pollution is closely related to human activity. |
| D．Marine areas should be monitored more carefully. |
| A．New waterways across the Atlantic |
| B．The shipping industry in the North East Atlantic |
| C．New research opens windows into life under the water |
| D．Sea life needs better protection from an increase in shipping |
2 . Six months before she died, my grandmother moved into an old people’s home and I visited her there. The room was clean and warm, and the care assistants were kind and cheerful. A general knowledge quiz show was on the television, and the only other sound was snoring. People moved only when they needed to be helped to the bathroom. It was disappointing. Grandmother talked a lot about how much she missed seeing her grandchildren, but I knew from my sister that they hated going to visit her there.
So I was interested to read a newspaper article about a new concept in old people’s homes in France. The idea is simple, but revolutionary — combining a residential home for the elderly with a nursery school in the same building. The children and the residents eat lunch together and share activities. In the afternoons, the residents enjoy reading or telling stories to the children, and if a child is feeling sad or tired, there is always a kind lap to sit on.
The advantages are huge for everyone concerned. The children are happy, because they get a lot more individual attention. The residents are happy because they feel useful and needed. And the staff are happy because they see an improvement in the physical and psychological health of the residents and have an army of assistants to help with the children.
Nowadays there is less and less contact between the old and the young in an increasing number of countries. There are many reasons for this, including the breakdown of the extended family, working parents with no time to care for ageing relations, families that have moved away, and smaller flats with no room for grandparents. But the result is the same-increasing numbers of children without grandparents and old people who have no contact with children, and more old people who are lonely and feel useless, along with more and more families with young children who desperately need more support. Ifs a major problem in many societies.
That’s why intergenerational programs, designed to bring the old and the young together, are growing in popularity all over the world.
1. What does the underlined word “residents” in paragraph 2 probably refer to?| A．Old people. | B．School teachers. | C．Assistants. | D．Staff. |
| A．They felt lonely and useless. | B．They weren’t allowed to be visited. |
| C．They weren’t looked after properly. | D．They lived in a dirty and uncomfortable room. |
| A．The extended family is broken down. |
| B．There isn’t much room for grandparents. |
| C．Working parents have no time to care for their children. |
| D．There isn’t much contact between the old and the young. |
| A．Advice on how to communicate with children. |
| B．Plans for setting up more homes for old people. |
| C．Examples of successful intergenerational programs. |
| D．Ways of teaching entertainment skills to old people. |
3 . Now that members of Generation Z are graduating college this spring—the most commonly-accepted definition says this generation was born after 1995, give or take a year—the attention has been rising steadily in recent weeks. Gen Zs are about to hit the streets looking for work in a labor market that’s tighter than it’s been in decades. And employers are planning on hiring about 17 percent more new graduates for jobs in the U.S. this year than last, according to a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Everybody wants to know how the people who will soon inhabit those empty office cubicles will differ from those who came before them.
If “entitled” is the most common adjective, fairly or not, applied to millennials (those born between 1981 and 1995), the catchwords for Generation Z are “practical and cautious”. According to the career counselors and expert who study them, Generation Zs are clear-eyed, economic pragmatists. Despite graduating into the best economy in the past 50 years, Gen Zs know what an economic train wreck looks like. They were impressionable kids during the crash of 2008, when many of their parents lost their jobs or their life savings or both. They aren’t interested in taking any chances. The booming economy seems to have done little to assuage this underlying generational sense of anxious urgency, especially for those who have college debt. College loan balances in the U.S. now stand at a record $1.5 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve.
One survey from Accenture found that 88 percent of graduating seniors this year chose their major with a job in mind. In a 2019 survey of University of Georgia students, meanwhile, the career office found the most desirable trait in a future employer was the ability to offer secure employment (followed by professional development and training, and then inspiring purpose). Job security or stability was the second most important career goal (work-life balance was number one), followed by a sense of being dedicated to a cause or to feel good about serving the great good.
1. Generation Zs graduating college this spring ________ .| A．are recognized for their abilities |
| B．are in favor of job offers |
| C．are optimistic about the labor market |
| D．are drawing growing public attention |
| A．what a tough economic situation is like |
| B．what their parents expect of them |
| C．how they differ from past generations |
| D．how valuable a counselors advice is |
| A．define | B．relieve | C．maintain | D．deepen |
| A．care little about their job performance |
| B．give top priority to professional training |
| C．think it hard to achieve work-life balance |
| D．have a clear idea about their future job |
4 . Many parents of elementary and middle school students are wondering if they should send off their kids with a phone.
“What we know is that there is not a magic age for when to get a child a smartphone, but by age 11, 53% of the kids have their own smartphone,” said Kelly Mendoza, a vice president at Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group focusing on responsible media use. The figure comes from a 2019 survey the organization conducted of more than 1,600 people between the ages of 8 and 18 in the US. “Sixth grade is a big transition for kids, when they start middle school and start to have more independence,” she said.
Even though middle school is a turning point for many parents in making the leap, Ms. Mendoza said age isn’t as important as a child’s maturity. She said parents can assess their children’s phone readiness by asking themselves the following questions: Do they show a sense of responsibility? Are they responsible for their things? Would they be able to resist texting or scrolling in class?
It is also wise to assess whether there are legitimate needs for children to have a smartphone, such as being able to communicate while taking public transportation, or being reminded to take medication.
Many kids start asking for a phone once their friends have one. The requests can start as early as elementary school, but the peer pressure heats up in middle school.
Understanding your children's motivation can help you decide. Do they just want one because they want to fit in? Are they being excluded from social interactions, such as group texts?
Before they power a phone up for the first time, experts say you should talk to them about your expectations for its use, and the consequences for losing or damaging the phone or for violating school rules, which include when and where the phone should be used, where it should be charged up at night, how to treat others on social media and how to report cyberbullying.
1. Which of the following may Kelly Mendoza agree with?| A．It doesn't matter when parents get their children a phone. |
| B．When to get children a phone depends more on maturity than age. |
| C．Parents should give their children a phone when they are eleven. |
| D．Middle school students should have a phone of their own. |
| A．Flexible. | B．Ambiguous. | C．Reasonable. | D．Adorable. |
| A．Children's purpose. | B．The survey's figure. |
| C．Parents' expectations. | D．Schools' special rules. |
| A．Kids should have higher expectations for the phone uses. |
| B．Parents should inform their kids they should use phones properly. |
| C．Kids should follow the rules in case they lose or damage their phones. |
| D．Parents should guide their kids on how to power a phone up for the first time. |
5 . In 1840, Chicago was a small town of forty-five hundred souls. It ranked 92nd in population in the United States. Yet, only three decades later, by 1870 — just a year before the great fire — Chicago was closing in on a population of 300,000, making it the fifth-biggest city in America and the fastest-growing city in the world.
What led to all this rapid growth? In three words: location, location, location.
“Chicago was near the center of the country, and near where the waterways and railways met,” city historian Tim Samuelson notes. “It was a perfect place for anything and anyone to get anywhere...”
Timing had a lot to do with it, too. America was moving from a rural to an industrial power. Chicago was right in the middle of the action. Ironically, its rapid growth was almost its undoing. “Chicago had to build, and build quickly, and so they built it out of wood,” explained Sarah Marcus of the Chicago History Museum. “It was quick, it was easy, and it was cheap.”
And, as it turned out, very “easy” to catch fire.
By most accounts, the fire started on the city’s West Side, near the De Koven Street barn of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary. No one is sure of the cause, but it could have been anything, from vandals (故意) to a drunken neighbor to that clumsy cow of urban legend.
Within minutes, the fire got out of control, tearing through Chicago’s business district. The fire was so hot, it created its own tornado of flame. By 3:30 a.m., all hope of saving large parts of the city was gone. Nearly 30 hours later, the fire finally died. The reason? There was nothing left to burn.
The losses were shocking: The fire took away nearly 300 lives, destroyed over 17,000 buildings covering almost 3.5 square miles, and caused damage of over $200 million—about 3.8 billion today. Roughly a third of the city lay in ruins, and one out every three people living in Chicago — nearly 100,000 residents — became homeless overnight.
1. Which paragraph describes the rapid growth of Chicago?| A．paragraph 1. | B．paragraph 2. |
| C．paragraph 4. | D．paragraph 5. |
① Chicago was built out of wood.
② Chicago had good transportation.
③ Timing was perfect.
④ Wood was cheap.
| A．①③ | B．②④ | C．①④ | D．②③ |
| A．happy | B．sad | C．nervous | D．hopeful |
| A．The cause of the fire was clear. |
| B．The fire was put out by firefighters. |
| C．The fire caused great damage to Chicago. |
| D．Lage parts of the city was saved. |
6 . There is no doubt that to study abroad gives you an excellent opportunity to learn things which are very helpful in your career building.
Today Canada has earned a good name in providing quality education and safe and healthy environment for its students. That is why more than 130,000 international students enroll (登记入学) every year in famous Canadian universities. It is an ideal education destination and gives students a unique experience of education and its diverse arts and culture. Canada spends a lot on education and is ranked the highest in G-8 countries.
To study in Canada is very cost-effective. These universities are affordable compared to other universities in the world such as in the US, New Zealand and the UK where cost of education and living is very high. According to a survey in 2006, Canada offered the lowest tuition fees (学费) for foreign students compared to the UK and Australia.
The low rate of crimes and the peaceful and safe environment of the country also attracts a lot of international students to Canadian universities. Canada has 92 universities and 175 community colleges and university degrees have three levels ― Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral.
A Bachelor’s degree in Canada is for three or four years’ full-time study depending on the nature of the programme you are doing. On the other hand, a Master’s degree consists of two years of study. For a Doctoral programme in Canadian universities, you require a minimum of three to four or sometimes five years of research and study.
You can also find many diploma and certification (认证) programmes in Canadian universities where the time is generally one year. Some of the Canadian universities are well-regarded worldwide and the degree and diploma gained from these Canadian universities are recognized globally and promise a bright future. After the completion of studies, a person could also find great job offers in Canada itself. International students require a work permit to work on campus.
1. What can we infer from the passage ?| A．Canada has 267 community colleges in all. |
| B．To study in Canada is cheaper than in Australia. |
| C．Canada is the richest one among G-8 countries. |
| D．130,000 Chinese students come to Canada yearly. |
| A．8 years. | B．9 years. | C．10 years. | D．11 years. |
① Quality education. ② Safe environment. ③ Diverse culture.
④ Bright job future. ⑤ High scholarship. ⑥ Low tuition fees.
| A．② | B．③ | C．④ | D．⑤ |
| A．Ignore. | B．Doubt. | C．Support. | D．Oppose. |
7 . If you want to make a difference in your community, be part of something bigger than yourself, or just earn some required volunteer hours, then these organizations with volunteer chances are good choices for you.
Habitat for Humanity
Everyone deserves to have a place they call home. By volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, you can play a role in building up your community. Their Habitat Youth Programs accept volunteers between the ages of 5 and 40 for everything from home construction to affordable housing advocacy (宣传).
The Humane Society
Whether you'e a dog person or a cat person, you can join the Humane Society in their fight against animal cruelty. Find volunteer chances in your state, and take part in outreach, phone banking, or helping out at a local shelter.
Meals on Wheels
For those teens who just got their driving license (驾照) and like to get behind the wheel, here's a volunteer chance that will make driving worthwhile. Meals on Wheels is on a duty to meet the nutritional and social needs of the old. 225 million meals have been sent so far. Connect with your local provider to find out how you can take part.
Best Buddies
Volunteer with Best Buddies to help end the social, physical, and economic Isolation（孤立）of 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and you'll make some new pals in the process! Join a school chapter or start your own to use friendship as a tool for a wide community.
1. What can you do as a volunteer of Habitat for Humanity?| A．Bring down housing prices |
| B．Build homes for the community. |
| C．Prepare teens for their future jobs. |
| D．Get more teens to join in volunteering. |
| A．Old people in need. | B．Drivers on the street. |
| C．Disabled people suffering hunger. | D．Teens eager for a driving license. |
| A．Best Buddies. |
| B．Meals on Wheels. |
| C．Habitat for Humanity. |
| D．The Humane Society. |
8 . Over the past few months, COVID-19 has caused great uncertainty around the world affecting people's lives in all aspects.Education is also greatly affected. With students all turning to online instruction, live-streamed classes have become popular among schools and universities.
In China, the use of e-learning is unusual not only in size but also in depth.
In fact,online instruction as an alternative teaching mode has been expanding rapidly in recent years.Many Chinese start-ups focus on AI applications in online courses,and various online educational platforms are set up.
Compared with formal instruction,online courses save abundant costs and create a flexible teaching mode(模式）－homeschooling,especially during a crisis.
| A．However,online teaching has its own disadvantages. |
| B．The traditional face-to-face teaching style has been challenged. |
| C．Chinese colleges and universities started the spring term online. |
| D．Moreover,online education is fairly acceptable to college education. |
| E．Online teaching provides a chance to reconsider the current education system. |
| F．For one thing,the impressive practice sets a good example to other countries. |
| G．So,it's early to predict how the future of the education system will look like. |
9 . Joanne was stuck in a traffic jam in central Birmingham at 5:30, and at 6:30 she was expected to be chairing a meeting of the tennis club. At last, the traffic was moving. She swung quickly racing to her house. As she opened the door, she nearly tripped over Sheba.
“Hey, Sheba,” she said, “I’ve got no time for you now, but I’ll take you out as soon as I get back from tennis club.” Then she noticed Sheba seemed to be coughing or choking. Obviously, she could hardly breathe. Immediately, Joanne realized she would have to take her to the vet (兽医). When she got there, the vet was just about to close for the day. Seeing the state of Sheba, Dr. Sterne brought her quickly into his office.
“Listen, doctor, I’m really in a rush to get to a meeting-can I leave her with you, and go and get changed? I’ll be back in ten minutes to pick her up, and then I’ll take her on to the meeting with me. Is that OK?”
“Sure,” said the doctor.
Joanne made the quick trip back to her house in a couple of minutes. As she was once more entering the hallway, the phone by the door began to ring.
“This is Dr. Sterne,” said an anxious voice. “I want you to get out of that house immediately,” said the doctor’s voice. “I’m coming round fight away, and the police will be there any time now. Wait outside!”
At that moment, a police car screeched to a stop outside the house. Two policemen got out and ran into the house. Joanne was by now completely confused and very frightened. Then the doctor arrived.
“Where’s Sheba? Is she OK?” shouted Joanne.
“She’s free, Joanne. I took out the thing which was choking her, and she’s OK now.”
Just then, the two policemen reappeared from the house, half-carrying a white-faced man, who could hardly walk. There was blood all over him.
“My God,” said Joanne, “how did he get in there? And how did you know he was there?”
“I think he must be a burglar,” said the doctor. “I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was stuck in Sheba’s throat; it turned out to be three human fingers.”
1. What was Joanne supposed to do at 6: 30?| A．To walk her dog. | B．To see her doctor. |
| C．To attend a club meeting. | D．To play tennis with her friends. |
| A．to dress up for the meeting |
| B．to phone the police station |
| C．to catch the badly hurt burglar |
| D．to wait for her dog to be cured |
| A．Sheba fought against the burglar |
| B．the police found the burglar had broken in |
| C．Joanne had planned to take her dog to the meeting |
| D．the doctor performed a difficult operation on the dog |
| A．clever | B．friendly |
| C．frightening | D．devoted |
“There is a tendency to decide that no action is needed.” says a psychologist. “The first thoughts that pop into your mind often keep you from offering help. In order to take action, you have to work against them.” Here are some common thoughts that might prevent you from helping.
● Why should I be the one? I’m probably not the most competent（有能力的）person in this crowd. You might think someone older or with more medical knowledge should offer assistance.
● What if he doesn’t really need my help? The fear of embarrassment is powerful; no one wants to risk looking foolish in front of others.
● No one else looks concerned- this must not be a problem. We can follow the people around us, but most people tend to hold back their emotions in public.
“If you spot trouble and find yourself explaining inaction, force yourself to stop and evaluate the situation instead of walking on,” says the psychologist. “Then retry to involve other people; you don’t have to take on the entire responsibility of being helpful. Sometimes it’s just a matter of turning to the person next to you and saying, ‘It looks like we should do something.’ Or asking someone if an ambulance has been called and, if not, to call for one. Once you take action, most people will follow you.”
1. Which is NOT the common thought that stops you from helping others?
| A．I’m not the very person capable of setting the problem. |
| B．It looks like we should do something. |
| C．It must not be a problem as no one else is concerned. |
| D．He doesn’t really need my help. |
| A．They will call for help and then walk away. |
| B．They will stop and offer help. |
| C．They will turn away their eyes and go on walking. |
| D．They will laugh at him. |
| A．we should call the ambulance as soon as we can |
| B．we should stop and evaluate the situation and try to make other people follow |
| C．we should take on the whole responsibility and do something alone |
| D．we should turn to other people and ask them to take on the responsibility |
| A．ask others for help and call the police |
| B．get along well with the passers-by who spot the trouble |
| C．go directly to the police station |
| D．work against the first thoughts that prevent you offering help |
| A．to give others a hand |
| B．to be more competent |
| C．not to risk looking foolish |
| D．to stop and evaluate the situation |
