1 . For those of us who grew up watching Star Trek, exploring space has been about discovering strange new worlds. And there are plenty of worlds to explore in time, but we still need major technological advancements to reach planets that are light years away.
What we are doing in space today is providing unbelievable benefits right now, right here on Earth. From space, we can monitor, manage and care for our planet. Satellite-based sensors show us the short- and long-term effects of human activity on our environment. Many companies are using their interest in space to help solve problems here, from using hyperspectral imaging(高光谱成像), which enable us to map vegetation(植被) and rain forests, to microsatellites that provide global connectivity for the network of things.
My company, OneWeb, is focusing on what I believe is one of the world’s most important issues: the need for equal access to the Internet. The Internet has become our economic lifeblood. And yet, nearly half of the world’s population doesn’t have Internet access. Space is playing a key role in bridging this digital divide. OneWeb is launching 1,980 satellites to help bring Internet access to people everywhere, and our first production satellites are already flying in space and have shown very high download speeds.
Fiber and cable Internet access technologies already cover most financially viable(可行的) major cities. Similarly, these regions will also be the first to be served with 5G. Poor communities are the last to get connected, and without connectivity, those communities have no chance to lift themselves from poverty. OneWeb’s satellites will reach every community in the world and enable equal access to the Internet for the world’s less developed places.
Fifty years from the day when man first walked on the moon, we are still only approaching the possible. There will be tens of thousands of new satellites, space stations and factories in the coming years to bring advancements in communications, scientific research, monitoring the earth, exploring space and more. This is exciting, but we must take action carefully.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．Benefits space exploration can bring to us. |
| B．Problems space exploration leads to. |
| C．Steps of space exploration requires. |
| D．Equipment space exploration needs. |
| A．Increase download speeds. |
| B．Narrow the gap in Internet learning. |
| C．Help people set up and maintain a website. |
| D．Enable people to make use of the Internet equally. |
| A．More than six decades ago, man first walked on the moon. |
| B．More than half of the world’s people have no access to the Internet. |
| C．OneWeb’s satellites will make it possible for most people to be served with 5G. |
| D．Without the Internet, poor communities can hardly help themselves out of poverty. |
| A．The risks of furthering space exploration. |
| B．The value of setting up space stations. |
| C．The way we could monitor our earth. |
| D．The features of microsatellites. |
2 . It happens in every disaster (灾难): For those in need, people often donate (捐赠) things that turn out to be more of a trouble.
Juanita Rilling remembers it happened in 1988 when she was a disaster expert trying to help people suffering from a hurricane (飓风) in Honduras. “One morning I received a call from one of our logistic operators (物流运营商), and he explained to me that there was a plane carrying medical supplies that needed to land,” says Rilling. “But the ground was full, with lots of donations that no one had required. The plane—full of needed supplies—had to find someplace else to go. And it ended up stopping everyone’s plans by about 48 hours, which is important time in a disaster.”
Rilling now runs the Center for International Disaster Information, which is trying to make sure things like that don’t happen again. So when Superstorm Sandy hit, Rilling’s group started a project to encourage money donation. “Even a small donation can make a big difference and can quickly become exactly what people affected by a disaster need most,” Rilling says. But despite this, donators do that over and over. About 60% of the things donated after a disaster couldn’t be used. Often it’s old clothing or food.
Meghan Hara, who deals with kind donations for the American Red Cross, says she knows that some people are careful with giving money. And she doesn’t think that the need to give something concrete (实物) should be completely stopped.
“Part of what people are doing is that they’re helping, and they’re trying to help. What we need to work out is how to effectively deal with that,” Hara says.
1. What caused needed supplies to be put off after the hurricane in 1988?| A．Workers on the plane. | B．A weather report. |
| C．Useless donations on the ground. | D．The call from the operator. |
| A．Clothing. | B．Money. | C．Medicine. | D．Food. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Uncaring. | D．Worried. |
| A．Studies on natural disasters. |
| B．The benefits of helping others. |
| C．Tips on choosing useful donations. |
| D．The ways of managing people’s donations. |
3 . When the author Nicholas Carr began researching his book on whether the Internet was ruining our minds, he restricted his online access and e-mail. His new book argues the modern technology renders us less capable of deep thinking. Carr found himself so distracted that he couldn’t work on the book while staying connected. After initially feeling confused by his sudden lack of online connection, he was able to stay focused on one task for a long period within several weeks.
“Reading on the Internet has changed how we use our brains. Facing lots of text, videos, music and links to other webpages, our minds have become used to skimming and scanning information. As a result, we have developed sharper skills at making fast decisions, particularly visual ones,” Carr wrote.
But now most of us rarely read books that would help us focus. We are becoming more like librarians — able to find information quickly — than scholars who digest and interpret information. That lack of focus hinders (阻碍) our long term memory, leading many of us to feel distracted.
“What we are losing is a whole other set of mental skills, the ones that require not the shifting of our focus but the maintaining of our focus,” Carr said, adding that for centuries books had shielded our brains from distractions.
But with devices such as Apple’s iPad becoming common. Carr predicts books will change, too. “New forms of reading always require new forms of writing,” he wrote. Carr gives a tip to those who feel Web-surfing has left them incapable of concentration — slow down, turn off the Internet and practice the skills of reflection. “It is pretty clear from the brain science that if you don’t exercise particular cognitive skills, you are going to lose them,” he said. “If you are constantly distracted, you are not going to think in the same way that you would think if you paid attention.”
1. What does the underlined word “renders” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Protects. | B．Prevents. | C．Makes. | D．Discovers. |
| A．Whether our minds are being influenced by the Internet. |
| B．Why people like making fast decisions today. |
| C．Whether it is important for us to surf the Internet. |
| D．What we should keep in mind when surfing the Internet. |
| A．Because now most of us hardly read books. |
| B．Because we can find out the information quickly than the scholars. |
| C．Because there are so many distractions on the Internet when reading online. |
| D．Because we always read online instead of reading books helping us concentrate. |
| A．To read more interesting books. | B．To get away from the Internet. |
| C．To spend more time doing exercise. | D．To try to improve their sleep quality. |
4 . One form of social prejudice (偏见) against older people is the belief that they cannot understand or use modern technology. Activities like playing computer games, going on the Net and downloading MP3s are only for the youngsters. Isn’t it unfair that older people enjoying a computer game should be frowned upon (反对) by their children and grandchildren?
Nowadays older people have more control over their lives and they play a full part in society. Moreover, better health care has let more people in their sixties and seventies feeling fit and active after retirement. Mental activity, as well as physical exercise, can contribute to better health. Playing computer games is a very effective way of exercising the brain. So that’s why grey gamers are often seen now.
When personal computers were first introduced, most older people didn’t believe they would ever get familiar with them. Now computers have been around for a few generations and retired people have gradually become more relaxed about using them for fun. Gamers over 65 prefer playing puzzle games and card games. Kate Stevens, aged 72, says, “I find it very relaxing. It’s not very demanding, but you still need to concentrate.”
Another development that has favored “grey games” is a change in the type of video games available on the market. There’s a greater variety of games to choose from, including more intellectual and complex strategy and simulation (模拟) games. For example, Internet Chess and Train Simulator are among the most popular of these. Train Simulator is based on real — world rail activities. Players can choose from a variety of challengers, such as keeping to a strict timetable and using helper engines during a winter storm.
Some people argue that “grey gamers” simply don’t have the skills required for computer games, and that teenagers are better. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Most computer games require the kind of analytical thinking that improves with practice, which means that the “grey gamers” may well be far better than the young. In games where speed is the main consideration, older people would be at a disadvantage because they may have slower reaction. time. On the other hand, “grey gamers” have a preference for slower — paced, mind challenging games.
1. The second paragraph is intended to___________.| A．show the best way to exercise the brain | B．stress the importance of good health |
| C．explain why grey gamers exist | D．teach how to play video games |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Concerned. | C．Enthusiastic. | D．Supportive. |
| A．offering numbers | B．giving examples | C．making comparisons | D．providing details |
| A．mind challenging games are not suitable for older people |
| B．teenagers should improve their skills with practice |
| C．playing computer games requires analytical thinking |
| D．older people may perform well in computer games |
5 . Yet although officers will not disappear, it’s hard to imagine that working life will return to before-COVID-19 (新冠肺炎) ways. For more than a century workers have pushed themselves on-to crowded trains and buses, or suffered traffic jams, to get into the office, and back, five days a week. However, for the past one year they have not had to commute (上下班往返), and may enjoy it for a long time.
Employers, for their part, have supported expensive offices in city centers because they need to gather workers in one place. The rent is only part of the cost; there are cleaning, lightning, printers, catering and security on top. Needless to say, in the homeworking era these costs are cut down.
Another part of the homeworking era may be the disappearance of the five-day working week. Even before the COVID-19 many workers became used to taking phone calls or answering emails at the weekend. In the homeworking era, the dividing line between home and working life, a useful way of relieving stress, will be even harder to keep. It may be lost altogether.
What’s more, without the Monday-to-Friday commute, the weekend seems more nebulous, for employees may walk and take breaks freely, with only the company video calls unchanged.
Looking further out, the homeworking era may bring other changes. Some may decide to live in small towns where housing costs are lower, since they have no need to commute. Men will have fewer excuses to skip cleaning or childcare if they are not disappearing to the office.
In a sense, this is a return to normal: until the 19th century most people worked at or close to their homes. But social historians may still regard 2020 as the start of a new age.
1. Which one is the change of the working life after the COVID-19?| A．Living in big cities. | B．More traffic jams. |
| C．Reduced working cost. | D．Less phone calls at the weekend. |
| A．Important. | B．Unclear. | C．Fruitful. | D．Annoying. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Objective. | C．Supportive. | D．Negative. |
| A．2020: the Start of a New Age? |
| B．Working at Home: Are You Ready? |
| C．Who is the Winner: Employer or Employee? |
| D．Home and Working Life: How to Keep Balanced? |
6 . In Japan, more than 25% of the population is over 65, a figure set to rise to 40 percent by 2050.
That means authorities need to think about ways to keep healthy and active for longer but also about how to cope with labor shortages.
At Cross Heart, more than half of the 119 caregivers are over 60, and 15 of them are over 70. The foundation that runs this nursing home and others in Kanagaw a Prefecture has raised the official retirement age to 70 but allows employees to keep working until 80 if they want to and can.
Although older workers have constraints—some can’t do the heavier tasks—they also offer advantages over younger workers who want time off for their children, said nursing home director Kaori Yokoo.
“Plus, because they’re close in age, they can relate to each other more, ” she said. For the older workers, the money is a nice benefit, but the main motivation is the activity and sense of community.
Hiroko Akiyama, at the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Gerontology, said a Japanese 65-year-old is in much better physical and mental shape than a 65-year-old a few decades ago. “They are full of energy, and healthy and long-liv ing,” she said. Her research has found that working helps keep seniors that way.
Meanwhile, researchers are working on robots that can lift the elderly out of beds and wheelchairs.
Still, Japan can’t rely only on seniors or, potentially, robots to staff its nursing homes, where the need will only grow as the population ages, analysts say.
Japan has agreements with Indonesia, Vietn am and the Philipp ines under which applicants who complete job training and pass a Japanese language test can work at a Japanese nursing home. But many Japanese also express deep concern about cultural differences.
1. From the text we can learn that in Japan ______.| A．money w ill be spent increasing the skills of the workforce |
| B．young people are willing to care for children but not seniors |
| C．aging caregivers will increasingly become a usual trend |
| D．high-level nursing homes are in great need |
| A．failures. | B．benefits. |
| C．experiences. | D．drawbacks. |
| A．To meet their physical and mental needs. | B．To earn some money for their families. |
| C．To show love and respect for seniors. | D．To reduce the young’s burden. |
| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
提示：
1. 使用共享单车的优点；
2. 使用共享单车存在的问题；
3. 你向同学发出的倡议。
注意：
1. 词数100左右，倡议信的开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
shared bikes共享单车 public facility公共设施 random parking 乱停乱放 low-carbon lifestyle 低碳生活
Dear fellow students,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
8 . A new set of rules are being brought in for kids and adults who own and fly drones(无人机).Children and adults who use drones now have to pass an online theory test and be registered as a drone operator.From 30 November 2019,anyone who hasn’t done these,could be fined£1,000.
The new rules are from the Civil Aviation Authority(CAA)--they’re the people responsible for monitoring(监测)air traffic and develop the rules that apply to drones.They apply to anyone responsible for a drone or an unmanned aircraft(飞行器)such as a model plane weighing at least 250g.Those who register will get a unique ID which must be displayed on their drones.
The test is done online.It has 20 questions and should take around 20 minutes to complete.To pass,the person taking it,needs to get 16 out of 20 correct!But the test can be taken more than once.
The CAA decided that there should be some stricter rules about who can and can't fly a drone.
With more and more drones being spotted near airports--where they can cause problems--it is important to have stricter rules.In December 2018,1,000 flights were cancelled for 36 hours,after reported drone sightings in the airspace of Gatwick Airport.140,000 passengers had to change or cancel their travel plans because of the sightings.This new online safety test has been designed to make sure those flying drones will do so safely.In March 2019,the drone no-fly area around airports was extended(延伸)from 1km to 5km.This was to prevent the devices(设备)causing trouble at airports.
As well as keeping drones and other devices flying safe and legal,the new rules will come in handy for lost devices.Once a device has been registered and has its own ID number,it’ll be easier for it to be returned to the right place!
1. What are the new rules?| A．Those who use drones must register them legally. |
| B．People are not allowed to use drones weighing above 250g. |
| C．Kids shouldn’t use drones without being accompanied by parents. |
| D．People are permitted to use drones within 1km to 5km around airports. |
| A．Drones are dangerous to kids. |
| B．Airplanes are often disturbed by flying drones. |
| C．The original rules are broken by many drone users. |
| D．Drones are often beyond operators control in the air |
| A．Finding lost drones. |
| B．Keeping children entertained. |
| C．Monitoring airplanes at airports. |
| D．Speeding up the development of drones. |
| A．Only people who are under 18 should have the online safety test. |
| B．The stricter the rules are,the less frequently people will fly their drones. |
| C．If a person wants to pass the test,he needs to get at least 80%of full marks. |
| D．As long as one registers a fly drone legally,he can fly it wherever he wants. |
内容提示：1．描述吃零食的现象；
2．阐述吃零食的影响；
3．提出合理化的建议。
注意： 1．词数100左右，开头已为你写好(不计入总词数)。
2．参考词汇：snacks零食；phenomenon现象。
Dear fellow students，
There is a serious phenomenon in our school．________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
