1 . Discoveries in science and technology are thought by “untaught minds” to come in blinding flashes or as the result of dramatic accidents. Sir Alexander Fleming did not, as legend would have it, look at the mold (霉) on a piece of cheese and get the idea for penicillin there and then. He experimented with antibacterial substances for nine years before he made his discovery. Inventions and innovations almost always come out of tough trial and error. Innovation is like soccer; even the best players miss the goal and have their shots blocked much more frequently than they score.
The point is that the players who score most are the ones who take most shots at the goal—and so it goes with innovation in any field of activity. The prime difference between innovation and others is one of approach. Everybody gets ideas, but innovators work consciously on theirs, and they follow them through until they prove practicable or otherwise. What ordinary people see as fanciful abstractions, professional innovators see as solid possibilities.
“Creative thinking may mean simply the realization that there’s no particular goodness in doing things the way they have always been done.” Wrote Rudolph Flesch, a language authority. This accounts for our reaction to seemingly simple innovations like plastic garbage bags and suitcases on wheels that make life more convenient: “How come nobody thought of that before?”
The creative approach begins with the proposal that nothing be as it appears. Innovators will not accept that there is only one way to do anything. Faced with getting from A to B, the average person will automatically set out on the best-known and apparently simplest route. The innovator will search for alternate courses, which may prove easier in the long run and are sure to be more interesting and challenging even if they lead to dead ends. Highly creative individuals really do march to a different drummer.
1. “Untaught mind” in the first paragraph refers to __________.| A．an individual who often comes up with new ideas by accident |
| B．a person who has had no education |
| C．a citizen of a society that restricts personal creativity |
| D．a person ignorant of the hard work involved in experimentation |
| A．The way they present their findings. | B．The intelligence they possess. |
| C．The way they deal with problems. | D．The variety of ideas they have. |
| A．devoted to the progress of science |
| B．diligent in pursuing their goals |
| C．concerned about the advance of society |
| D．unwilling to follow common ways of doing things |
| A．What Are So Special about Creative Individuals |
| B．The Relation Between Creation and Diligence |
| C．Discoveries and Innovation |
| D．To Be a Creative Expert in the Study of Human Creativity |
2 . Have you ever made your life look a little more attractive on social media than it actually is? If so, you may be damaging your mental health.
The posts we make on social media platforms allow us to look back and see what we did on a given day. But what happens when, in an effort to impress our online friends, photos and videos we post become beautiful versions of the things we did?
A young girl named Sophia went out to a romantic anniversary dinner with her boyfriend, had a near relationship-ending fight during dessert, then came home and posted, “Had the best time out with the love of my life!”—even with a photo of the meal. No surprise, but according to a new study, Sophia was by no means unique. Two-thirds of users admit lying about their lives on social media with 20 percent of young people between the ages of 18 and 24 stating that they edit their own stories by frequently lying about relationships and promotions.
By beautifying our online stories, we are harming our memories. We start believing the stories we tell rather than remembering what really has happened. Soon, the real experience is lost and all that remains is the beautified version of history.
Scientists fear that these edited stories will end up changing our memories. It’s well confirmed through research that our own memories are often unreliable and can be easily controlled. Writing down one’s life in the form of a journal, or even on social media can help us keep our memories undamaged, but only if we tell the truth. And recording our experiences through whatever medium, to later recall lessons we have learned, is not only acceptable but desirable. In fact, looking back on our own past—however embarrassing or uncomfortable—is not just healthy but can be enjoyable.
1. Why did Sophia post her story with a photo of the meal?| A．To make herself attractive. | B．To show her photography skill. |
| C．To convince others of her story. | D．To show how amazing the meal was. |
| A．Encouraging. | B．Critical. | C．Humorous. | D．Enthusiastic. |
| A．recalling the unpleasant past can also be enjoyable |
| B．writing down our life on social media does no good to us |
| C．recording our experiences through media is unacceptable |
| D．editing our own stories will make us unreliable |
| A．Leaving others a good impression is desirable. |
| B．Editing our online stories weakens our memory. |
| C．Posting our experiences on social media is risky. |
| D．Beautifying our history ends up hurting ourselves. |
3 . Public distrust of scientists stems in part from the blurring of boundaries between science and technology, between discovery and manufacture. Most governments, perhaps all governments, justify public expenditure on scientific research in terms of the economic benefits the scientific enterprise has brought in the past and will bring in the future. Politicians remind their voters of the splendid machines “our scientists” have invented, the new drugs to relieve old disorders, and the new surgical equipment and techniques by which previously unmanageable conditions may now be treated and lives saved. At the same time, the politicians demand of scientists that they tailor their research to “economics needs”, and that they award a higher priority to research proposals that are “near the market” and can be translated into the greatest return on investment in the shortest time. Dependent, as they are, on politicians for much of their funding, scientists have little choice but to comply. Like the rest of us, they are members of a society that rates the creation of wealth as the greatest possible good. Many have reservations, but keep them to themselves in what they perceive as a climate hostile to the pursuit of understanding for its own sake and the idea of an inquiring, creative spirit.
In such circumstances no one should be too hard on people who are suspicious of conflicts of interest. When we learn that the distinguished professor assuring us of the safety of a particular product holds a consultancy with the company making it, we cannot be blamed for wondering whether his fee might conceivably cloud his professional judgment. Even if the professor holds no consultancy with any firm, some people may still distrust him because of his association with those who do, or at least wonder about the source of some of his research funding.
This attitude can have damaging effects. It questions the integrity of individuals working in a profession that prizes intellectual honesty as the supreme virtue, and plays into the hands of those who would like to discredit scientists by representing them as corruptible. This makes it easier to dismiss all scientific pronouncements, but especially those made by the scientists who present themselves as “experts”. The scientist most likely to understand the safety of a nuclear reactor, for example, is a nuclear engineer, and a nuclear engineer is most likely to be employed by the nuclear industry. If a nuclear engineer declares that a reactor is unsafe, we believe him, because clearly it is not to his advantage to lie about it. If he tells us it is safe, on the other hand, we distrust him, because he may well be protecting the employer who pays his salary.
1. What is the chief concern of most governments when it comes to scientific research?| A．The decline of public expenditure. | B．Quick economic returns. |
| C．The budget for a research project. | D．Support from the voters. |
| A．They realize they work in an environment hostile to the free pursuit of knowledge. |
| B．They know it takes incredible patience to win support from the public. |
| C．They think compliance with government policy is in the interests of the public. |
| D．They are accustomed to keeping their opinions secrets to themselves. |
| A．some of them do not give priority to intellectual honesty |
| B．sometimes they hide the source of their research funding |
| C．they could be influenced by their association with the project concerned |
| D．their pronouncements often turn out to be short-sighted and absurd |
| A．Scientists themselves may doubt the value of their research findings. |
| B．It may wear out the enthusiasm of scientists for independent research. |
| C．It makes things more trivial for scientists to seek research funds. |
| D．People will not believe scientists even when they tell the truth. |
4 . A letter written by Charles Darwin in 1875 has been returned to the Smithsonian Institution Archives(档案馆) by the FBI after being stolen twice.
“We realized in the mid-1970s that it was missing,” says Effie Kapsalis, head of the Archives. “It was noted as missing and likely taken by an intern (实习生), from what the FBI is telling us. Word got out that it was missing when someone asked to see the letter for research purposes,” and the intern put the letter back. “The intern likely took the letter again once nobody was watching it.”
Decades passed. Finally, the FBI received a clue that the stolen letter was located very close to Washington, D.C. Their art crime team got back the letter but were unable to accuse the suspect because the time of limitations had ended. The FBI worked closely with the Archives to determine that the letter was both genuine and exactly belonged to Smithsonian.
The letter was written by Darwin to thank an American geologist, Dr. Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, for sending him copies of his research into the geology of the area that would become Yellowstone National Park.
The letter is in fairly good condition, in spite of being out of the care of trained museum staff for so long. “It was luckily in good shape,” says Kapsalis, “and we just have to do some minor things in order to be able to unfold it. It has some glue on it that has colored it slightly, but nothing that will prevent us from using it. One of our goals is to get items of high research value or interest to the public online.”
It would be difficult to steal things like the letter. “Archiving practices have changed greatly since the 1970s,” says Kapsalis, “and we keep our high value objects in a safe that I can’t even reach.”
1. What happened to Darwin’s letter in the 1970s?| A．It was got back by the FBI. | B．It was stolen more than once. |
| C．It was bought by the archives. | D．It was put in the archives for research purpose. |
| A．They proved its real identity. | B．They kept it in a safe. |
| C．They helped repair the letter. | D．They accused the suspect but failed. |
| A．Display it in the Archives. |
| B．Turn it into an item of interest. |
| C．Carry out a major repair. |
| D．Make it available on line. |
| A．People grow more interested in art objects |
| B．Strict safety measures are taken in Archives. |
| C．The value of museum objects has been increased. |
| D．The letter helped Ferdinand do research into geology. |
Cell phones are used everywhere, but on the road they are a dangerous distraction (分心) to drivers and should be forbidden.
The New England Journal of Medicine reported that "drivers using a cell phone were four times more likely to have an accident than those not using a phone." The major problem is that the driver is not focused on the road, but on his or her conversation. Cell phone drivers are very unpredictable: they drive too fast or too slow, make improper turns, run red lights and even stop at green ones. It's not only annoying; it's dangerous. Accidents related to cell phones include off a road and crashing into a tree, fences, and buildings and even turning over.
In October at the California Traffic Safety Summit, experts showed that "cell phones used by drivers lead to at least 1,000 deaths per year in California." These are the same problems that occur with drunk driving, which is against the law and strictly enforced. For the same reasons, California needs laws that ban the use of cell phone in cars.
Until we take action to pass new laws, drivers at least need to be more responsible when using cell phones. The American Automobile Association recommends that drivers pull off the road before using a cell phone, have a passenger use it for them, or use voice mail to answer calls. Another suggestion is to keep the phone off while moving or simply not to use it in the car. Before using a cell phone, drivers should ask themselves, "Is this call really that important?"
Cell phones can be a very important link in emergencies, but drivers need to use them wisely. As professional NASCAR racer John Andretti says, "Driving safely is your first responsibility." The best road to safety is to just hang up and drive.
What are you going to do with your old computer after you buy a new one? You have paid high prices for the old computer, but how much do you think it is worth now? Few people want to buy an old computer. Unfortunately, the only thing you can do is to throw it away.
What do many people do when they try to sell their old computers? Foolishly, they think about its original cost and then reduce the price according to the age of computer---- rather like a second hand car. They are wrong. They forget that new computers are becoming cheaper every day, making old computers almost worthless. In 1985, for example, a good computer cost over US $4,000. Ten years later its owner would be lucky to get $400.
You must be careful about buying a second hand computer. The microchips in a computer may last a long time, but the hard disk will not. It will probably cost more to replace the hard disk with a new one than the computer itself is worth. So saving or repairing an old computer is like building a car from spare parts. It is far cheaper to buy a new car.
One magazine recently listed some suggestions. One suggestion was to give it to charity. The final one was to store it somewhere and hope that it would become a collector’s item in fifteen or twenty years. But in fifteen or twenty years there may be so many old computers that they will all be worthless.
Whatever you decide to do with an old computer will not change the fact that it will be useless soon. The world of computers is quickly changing and eventually all computers will not only be integrated with video telephones and run DVD ROM disks, but also be able to perform many tasks which as yet we cannot even imagine. All these uses will require much more advanced computers today to the garbage can of the next century.
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7 . People think children should play sports. Sports are fun, and children keep healthy while playing with others. However，playing sports can have
Many researchers believe adults, especially parents and coaches, are the main
We really need to
| A．restrictive(限制的) | B．negative | C．active | D．instructive |
| A．knocked | B．glanced | C．smiled | D．shouted |
| A．impression | B．concept | C．taste | D．expectation |
| A．resource | B．cause | C．course | D．consequence |
| A．question | B．understand | C．copy | D．neglect |
| A．winning | B．practising | C．fun | D．sport |
| A．praises | B．orders | C．remarks (言论、评论) | D．insults(侮辱) |
| A．proudly | B．ambitiously | C．aggressively | D．bravely |
| A．acceptable | B．impolite | C．possible | D．accessible |
| A．By contrast | B．In addition | C．As a result | D．After all |
| A．look up to | B．face up to | C．make up for | D．come up with |
| A．in particular | B．in all | C．in return | D．in advance |
| A．techniques | B．means | C．values | D．directions |
| A．respect | B．relax | C．forgive | D．enjoy |
| A．body | B．fame | C．health | D．spirit |
8 . The coronavirus has been a catalyst for change in many areas of our lives. As things return to normal, one thing that is likely to remain for many is the practice of working from home, known as telecommuting.
Much like the cloud classroom, the cloud office enables employees to cooperate, access resources and operate software from any location. Without doubt, communication tools play an important role. Video and voice chat allow a team, regardless of location, to work together as if they're in the same office.
The rise of telecommuting is due in part to time-tracking applications and software that allows employers to monitor productivity. Wechat Work and Work Examiner are all popular options that have been adopted by thousands of companies. These tools make employers feel secure that remote workers are staying on task. As an increasingly popular approach to work, the objective of the cloud office is to find the ideal balance between home and office work.
According to CNBC, a study showed that 85 percent of millennials（千禧一代）preferred working from home as it gives them a healthier work-life balance, flexible hours and more autonomy. It also showed that firms could save $ 11,000per person each year by allowing employees to work from home.
However, not everyone sees this revolution as positive. According to Bloomberg, in a survey of 1,001 US workers, 45 percent felt burnt out due to the increased workload, decreased communication and the requirement to juggle（兼顾）professional and personal life.
There has indeed been a mixed reaction to the move amid the pandemic.
It's believed that it will become more manageable once lockdown measures are fully lifted worldwide. And by then, who knows what tasks we could all achieve from the comfort of our sofas?
1. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word in the first paragraph?| A．disaster. | B．motivation. |
| C．cause. | D．disease. |
| A．Employers hold different opinions towards telecommuting. |
| B．The purpose of working from home is to help achieve work-life balance. |
| C．Working from home can help employers spend less on human resources. |
| D．Software that enables workers to monitor work gains increasing popularity. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Neutral. | D．Unclear. |
9 . Education is very close in my heart. My father grew up in a very small village in China. In those days, not many villagers could read. So my father
After generations of hard work, China
Education is about women and girls. It is important for girls to go to school because they will become their children’s
As the UNESCO special envoy (特使) and the mother myself, my
I was once asked about my Chinese
| A．rebuilt | B．found | C．attended | D．opened |
| A．remember | B．pronounce | C．write | D．confirm |
| A．teach | B．inform | C．convince | D．enquire |
| A．education | B．contribution | C．devotion | D．civilization |
| A．has found | B．has come | C．has walked | D．has taken |
| A．contribute to | B．approve of | C．benefit from | D．pass down |
| A．routine | B．fashion | C．suggestions | D．footsteps |
| A．determined | B．confident | C．honored | D．fortunate |
| A．first | B．unforgettable | C．impressive | D．patient |
| A．care for | B．account for | C．stand for | D．allow for |
| A．accepting | B．tolerating | C．handling | D．evaluating |
| A．controversial | B．ambiguous | C．accurate | D．astonishing |
| A．resources | B．experiences | C．qualifications | D．materials |
| A．permission | B．strength | C．wealth | D．knowledge |
| A．independent | B．responsible | C．intelligent | D．capable |
| A．response | B．commitment | C．reaction | D．attention |
| A．Together | B．Meanwhile | C．Therefore | D．Moreover |
| A．expectation | B．vision | C．dream | D．ambition |
| A．promise | B．believe | C．assume | D．sense |
| A．desired | B．realized | C．faced | D．enjoyed |
10 . I don’t ever want to talk about being a woman scientist again. There was a time in my life when people asked constantly for stories about what it’s like to work in a field controlled by men. I was never very good at telling those stories because truthfully I never found them interesting. What I do find interesting is the origin of the universe, the shape of space-time and the nature of black holes.
At 19, when I began studying astrophysics, it did not bother me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while earning my Ph.D. at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the issue started to bother me. My every achievement-jobs, research papers, awards-was viewed from the angle of gender(性别). So were my failures.
Then one day a few years ago, out of my mouth came a sentence that would eventually become my reply to any and all provocations(挑衅): I don’t talk about that anymore. It took me 10 years to get back the confidence I had at 19 and to realize that I didn’t want to deal with gender issues. Why should gender discrimination(歧视)be yet another terrible burden on every female scientist?
Today I research and teach at Barnard, a women’s college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me how many of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer, 45. I know some of my students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children. And I don’t refuse to consider those concerns. Still, I don’t tell them “war” stories. Instead, I have given them this: the visual of their physics professor heavily pregnant doing physics experiments. And in turn they have given me the image of 45 women driven by a love of science. And that’s a sight worth talking about.
1. Why doesn’t the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?| A．She feels unhappy working in male-controlled fields. |
| B．She is tired of the issue of gender discrimination. |
| C．She is not good at telling stories of the kind. |
| D．She finds space research more important. |
| A．the very fact that she is a woman |
| B．her involvement in gender politics |
| C．her over-confidence as a female astrophysicist |
| D．the burden she bears in a male-controlled society |
| A．Women students needn’t have the concerns of her generation. |
| B．Women have more barriers on their way to academic success. |
| C．Women can balance a career in science and having a family. |
| D．Women now have fewer problems seeking a science career. |
