According to a report by the United Nations，54 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas and it predicts that by 2050，this figure will have increased to around 70 percent.But as more and more people migrate from the countryside to the city to get better opportunities，they can end up with nowhere to live.
This is true in places such as Rio de Janeiro，where migrants can’t rent or buy a home，and they end up building their own communities and houses on unoccupied land.These are called shanty towns—poor communities where the houses are built out of cheap materials—and often don’t have any electricity or water supply.
These are，of course，not the megacities(大城市)of the future we want to see. Some serious urban planning is needed to make our cities of the future good，safe and modern places to live in. This involves improving the infrastructure(基础设施)，the housing conditions and also the opportunities for education and employment.
Something urban planners are looking at now is the creation of “smart cities”. According to John Rossant，founder and chairman of the non-profit organization New Cities Foundation ，technology is the way forward.He thinks that it’s generally accepted that“cloud computing, ubiquitous internet，robust 5G networks,etc，will transform our cities.” He says technology is really “a game changer” in urbanisation. It would collect large amounts of data about how a city is performing and may improve how a city functions.
This may sound like a utopian(乌托邦似的)view. For now，some big cities around the world are trying out more low—tech schemes to try and make them desirable places to live and work in. Building shared—ownership housing and improving public transport are some ways. And encouraging cycling and building bike lanes can keep the population healthy and cut down on smog. What would make your city a better place to live in?
1.What’s the text mainly about?
A.The city of the future. B.The increase of the population.
C.Urban construction. D.The function of smart cities.
2.Why does the author mention Rio de Janeiro in Paragraph 2?
A.To show the growth of the world population.
B.To show the problems in urbanization.
C.To show poor living conditions of the city.
D.To show financial trouble of the city.
3.What plays an important role in the creation of smart cities?
A.Technology. B.Urban planning.
C.The infrastructure of the city. D.Opportunities for education.
4.What can we know from the last paragraph?
A.High-tech plans can be easily realized.
B.Public transport is well developed in cities.
C.Shared-ownership houses make no sense.
D.Ways of low-tech are available at present.
What exactly is intelligence? There aren’t any easy answers. Despite the progress that has been made in genetics and psychology, human intelligence has remained one of the most controversial areas of modern science，until now, that is, for the discovery of a gene(基因) linked to intelligence has made the experts think again.
Robert Plomin of the Institute of Psychiatry in London and his colleagues in the US have been looking into genetic make-up. From their research, they have discovered that a slightly different gene is more common in those with a high IQ. Plomin analyzed DNA from two groups of 51 children aged between 6 and 15. What he found was that the first group had an IQ of 136, putting them in the top 5% of the population, while the other group had an average IQ of 103. An analysis of their genes showed that 32% of children in the higher group had the gene in question, while only 16% in the second group did. However, there is a lot more research to be done, and Plomin himself is cautious at this early stage. He suggests that there are probably many genes that contribute to intelligence, rather than just one.
Several studies have shown a strong link between IQ and career success, although some psychologists remain unconvinced about this. Professor Michael Rowe, who has written a book called Genius Explained, is one of these. “The people with the highest IQs are not usually the ones who do best in their careers.”
Many psychologists now believe that when it comes to intelligence, IQ isn’t everything. Many alternative views have been put forward recently. One example is the idea of multiple intelligences, which was developed in the 1980s by Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner. This offers a much broader view than the IQ theory, including creativity and communication skills as relevant factors(因素) in intelligence.
Tony Buzan, brain expert and author of Master your Memory, is enthusiastic about this belief, arguing that true geniuses(天才) do indeed appear to combine high levels of each type of intelligence. He lists Alexander the Great, Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein as examples. At the same time, Buzan believes that everyone can develop their intelligence, only if they take the trouble to exercise their brain. Perhaps there’s hope for us all!
1.What is the topic of the passage?
A. The relationship between genes and intelligence.
B. IQ benefits a lot from high intelligence.
C. How to develop intelligence.
D. What makes intelligence.
2.Why does the author use data in Paragraph 2?
A. To make a suggestion. B. To draw a conclusion.
C. To prove an idea. D. To give an example.
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Robert Plomin confirms genes have something in common.
B. Howard Gardner thinks intelligence includes various factors.
C. Michael Rowe approves of a strong link between IQ and career.
D. Tony Buzan agrees geniuses exercise brain to improve intelligence.
4.What does the underlined word “This” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A. The development of intelligence.
B. The idea of multiple intelligences.
C. IQ isn’t everything for intelligence.
D. Alternative views have been put forward.
You’ve heard of the fat suit and the pregnancy suit; now meet AGNES—the old person suit.
AGNES stands for “Age Gain Now Empathy（换位体验）System” and was designed by researchers at MIT’s AgeLab to let you know what it feels like—physically—to be 75 years old. “The business of old age demands new tools, ” said Joseph Coughlin, director of the AgeLab. “While focus groups and observations and surveys can help you understand what the older consumer needs and wants, young marketers never get that ‘Ah ha!’ moment of having difficulty opening a jar, or getting in and out of a car. That’s what AGNES provides. ”
Coughlin and his team carefully adjusted the suit to make the wearer just as uncomfortable as an old person who has spent a lifetime eating poorly and not doing much exercise. Special shoes provide a feeling of imbalance, while braces on the knees and elbows limit joint mobility. Gloves give the feeling of decreased strength and mobility in the hands and wrists, and earplugs make it difficult to hear high-pitched sounds and soft tones. A helmet with straps（带）attached to it presses the spine（脊柱）.
AGNES has been used most recently by a group of students working on a design of an updated walker. By wearing the suit they could see for themselves what design and materials would make the most sense for a physically limited older person. Coughlin said the suit has also been used by clothing companies, car companies and retail goods companies to help them understand the limitations of an older consumer. An unexpected benefit they’ve found with AGNES is that it has become a powerful tool to get younger people to invest in their long-term health.
1.AGNES has been developed mainly to _______.
A.make the users more comfortable B.help old people move more quickly
C.let people understand the old better D.remind the young to take care of their health
2.According to the article, young marketers never _______.
A.ask what old people need and want
B.see the efforts old people make to put on clothes
C.feel the same way as old people do
D.say “Ah ha!” when they meet with difficulty
3.The third paragraph mainly talks about _______.
A.how researchers feel wearing AGNES B.how AGNES has been developed
C.how people act when they are old D.how AGNES works
4.The underlined phrase “an updated walker” in the last paragraph most likely refers to _______.
A.someone who travels a lot
B.a physically limited old person
C.some equipment that helps old people walk
D.a company providing service to the old
Joseph Francis Charles Rock (1884–1962) was an Austrian-American explorer, botanist, and anthropologist(人类学家). For more than 25 years, he travelled extensively through Tibet and Yunnan, Gansu, and Sichuan provinces in China before finally leaving in 1949.
In 1924, Harvard sent Joseph Francis Rock on a treasure hunt through China’s southwestern provinces—the Wild West of their day. But gold and silver weren’t his task : Rock, a distinguished botanist, sought only to fill his bags with all the seeds, saplings, and shrubs he could find. During his three-year expedition, he collected 20,000 specimens for the Arnold Arboretum(阿诺德植物园).
Botany, though, was just one of Rock’s strengths. As an ethnologist(民族学者), he took hundreds of photographs of the Naxi, a tribe in Yunnan province, recording their now-lost way of life for both Harvard and National Geographic, and took notes for an eventual 500-page dictionary of their language. His hand-drawn map of his travels through China’s “Cho-Ni” territory, in the Harvard Map Collection, includes more than a thousand rivers, towns, and mountains indicated in both English and Chinese, and was so well made that the U.S. government used it to plan aerial missions in World War II.
Scientist, linguist, cartographer, photographer, writer—Rock was not a wallflower in any sense. Arrogant and self-possessed, he would walk into a village or warlord’s place “as if he owned the place,” said Lisa Pearson, the Arboretum’s head librarian.
In declaring his successful return under the headline “Seeking Strange Flowers, in the Far Reaches of the World” , the Boston Evening Transcript ran a large photo of the daring explorer wearing in a woolly coat and fox-skin hat. “In discussing his heroism including hair-raising escapes from death either from mountain slides, snow slides and robber armies, he waves the idea away as if it is of no importance.”
The Arboretum and Rock parted ways after 1927, mainly because his trip cost Harvard a fortune—about $900,000 in today’s dollars. Fortunately, many of his specimens, many of his amazing photos, and his great stories remain.
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A.Rock’s service for the U.S government.
B.Rock’s cooperation with Harvard.
C.Rock’s work as a botanist.
D.Rock’s exploration in Southwest China.
2.What contribution did Rock make to the USA besides collecting new plants and specimens?
A.He traveled through some uncivilized places in China.
B.His hand-drawn map was used in WWII.
C.He showed heroism by escaping difficulties.
D.He made headlines in Boston Evening News.
3.How did Rock respond when people mentioned his heroic deeds?
A.Excitedly. B.Proudly.
C.Calmly D.Nervously.
4.What caused Rock to stop work for The Arboretum?
A.The vast expense. B.The dangerous journey.
C.The challenging tasks. D.The unknown world.
假如你是李津，你的加拿大的朋友 Tim 在邮件中谈到他们那里也出现了很多新型冠 状病毒肺炎的病例，他有些紧张，并感觉网络信息的传播加剧了人们的恐慌。请你给他写封回信，主要内容如下：
（1）对他的恐慌表示理解，谈谈你的境况；
（2）简单阐述如何对待网络信息，说明理由；
（3）给 Tim 提一些建议(如：勤洗手，少出门，戴口罩)。参考词汇：新型冠状病毒肺炎 coronavirus； 口罩 mask
注意：词数不少于 100；
内容充实、行文连贯；
开头已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Tim,
I’ve got your email and know that…
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
阅读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。
On a foggy Monday morning in May 2016, 14 Amsterdam officials, engineers and civil servants gathered nervously at Alexanderplein --- a busy crossroads near the city centre with three streetcar lines --- where many people were walking, driving, and, as in any Dutch city, riding bicycles. All of a sudden, the traffic controls were shut off for all transport modes, in all directions.
This live pilot project is part of a larger mobility strategy across the city to make more room for cyclists and pedestrians. That means limiting access and space for private vehicles. “Amsterdam's public space is limited,” says the vice mayor for traffic, Pieter Litjens, who finally approved the pilot. “We need to be thoughtful and strategic about who and what uses that space.”
In the weeks before the lights were shut off, 200 cyclists were interviewed in the morning and evening. A majority of them disliked the crossroads and made complaints. When asked whether the traffic lights were necessary, about a third said "absolutely yes," only 5% said absolutely not, and the majority was uncertain. It was clearly a question they had never thought about.
When the lights were turned off, about 150 cyclists were interviewed. We found that not only did fewer people dislike this crossroads, but about 60% said the traffic situation had improved.
All interviewees spoke more about human interaction. “People pay more attention,” said one man. “It’s amazing that it regulates itself,” said a young woman. "It's a bit scary, but you never have to stop and nobody is grumpy," said a teenager. But no one could really further explain why or how.
Behaviour was noticeably different. Most cyclists slowed down as they approached the crossroads, and communicated to other cyclists and motorists using eyes, gestures, expressions and voices. In one incident, a mother carrying her child on a front seat slowly entered the crossroads. When she was halfway across, a car approached from the right. Traffic signs indicate priority for the car driver, but instead, the mother made eye contact with the driver, both smiled, and the car driver yielded.
1.Why was the pilot project carried out in Amsterdam? (no more than 10 words)
2.What did most cyclists who were interviewed think of the pilot project? (no more than 12 words)
3.What does the underlined word "yielded" (the last paragraph) probably mean?(no more than 2 words)
4.Why does the writer mention the mother and the driver in the last paragraph? (no more than 8 words)
5.Do you think the traffic lights can be turned off in Tianjin? Please give your reason. (no more than 20 words)
