There’s a reason humans have been building homes from wood for 10,000 years. It’s an excellent building material. But since it’s not transparent (透明的), we’re still in the habit of cutting windows in our houses.
But what if wood could be made transparent?
Researchers in Sweden have been trying to do just that. They’ve created a clear wood material they hope could one day be used for more energy-saving building.
“We chemically made wood transparent”, says Celine Montanari, a researcher at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.
Montanari and her team took wood and removed its lignin(木质素), and filled the resulting micro holes with a special chemical. Then the wood looked rather like the frosted glass of a shower door. They took the material one step further, mixing it with polyethylene glycol, a material that melts at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. When it melts, it absorbs energy and becomes transparent, then releases energy when cooled. In theory, this means the new wood material could be used to make windows that absorb energy during the hot part of the day and release it into the home when it gets cold at night. It makes the new wood an even more eco-friendly material by keeping indoor temperatures constant.
This is not a new technique, says Mark Swihart, a professor at University at Buffalo. Materials that store and release energy are not new either. “The thing that seems to be new is their way of the energy storage.” Swihart says.
Using wood as a base material is attractive because it has strength that’s hard to reproduce in other materials at the same cost, Swihart says. Whether or not the new transparent wood will be successful will depend in large part on how cheaply it can be made, he says. It’s also difficult to get new material widely used by the building industry, as there are existing supply chains for things like glass.
Montanari and her team are currently looking at increasing the heat storage capacity(储热性能) of the transparent wood, for greater energy savings. They’re also studying how to increase production to an industrial scale(规模). They hope to have a product ready for market within five years.
1.What are researchers in Sweden trying to do?
A.Construct all-glass buildings.
B.Develop see-through wood.
C.Create new frosted glass for future buildings.
D.Figure out the reason people use wood for buildings.
2.How is the fifth paragraph developed?
A.By giving example.
B.By analyzing reasons.
C.By describing processes
D.By making comparisons.
3.What does Swihart say about the invention of Montanari and her team?
A.It costs too much
B.It uses a brand-new technique.
C.It will face uncertainty in the market.
D.It will be widely used in the building industry.
4.What are Montanari and her team doing with their new invention now?
A.Making it cheaper.
B.Improving its performance.
C.Putting it into production.
D.Building a supply chain.
We all know the value of taking a walk in the fresh spring weather. It allows your mind to relax and forget about the problems in everyday life. Studies have commonly shown the benefits of being around green spaces, including gardens, city parks and forests.
But did you know that being close to these natural surroundings during childhood could positively influence your mental health as an adult?
A study by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) surveyed 3,600 people from all over Europe, including Spain, the Netherlands, Lithuania and the UK.
The all-adult study gave these volunteers a questionnaire on how frequently they used natural spaces during childhood – for example, playing in a garden, riding a bike at the park or hiking in a forest. They were also asked about the importance they put on using such places.
Volunteers were then given a psychological test, which included a variety of problem-solving activities, to learn about their mental state within a four-week period.
The results showed that the people who were more exposed to natural spaces had higher mental health scores compared to those with lower childhood exposure.
According to the study, 73 percent of Europe’s population only has limited chance to natural spaces. Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, director of ISGlobal’s Urban Planning, said that “Many children in Europe lead an indoor lifestyle… so we call on policymakers to improve the availability of natural spaces for children.”
While this study was based in Europe, a lack of green space can affect anyone, anywhere. So, remember to make time to immerse yourself in nature, as your mental health is just as important as the physical one.
1.What was the purpose of the ISGlobal’s study?
A.To study the influence of childhood exposure to natural spaces.
B.To understand the mental health problems of children.
C.To see how childhood experiences shape adult life.
D.To examine the advantages of taking a walk.
2.What do we know about the study?
A.The volunteers included both children and adults.
B.The volunteers were from all over the world.
C.It was made up of a questionnaire and a psychological test.
D.It focused on the volunteers’ physical health state.
3.What does the underlined word “immerse” in the last paragraph probably mean?
A.understand something B.lose oneself in something
C.protect against something D.imagine doing something
4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.The benefits of green space B.mental health or physical health
C.outdoor lifestyle D.the value of taking a walk
When David Carter started to study art at The University of Texas (UT)at Austin in 1971, he had big dreams of becoming an artist or a writer. But his study came to a stop at 23 after he hurt his hand in an unpleasant event. He developed schizophrenia(精神分裂症) later and spent many years without a home.
Carter liked to spend time around UT, because he dreamt of being able to continue his study in the university and becoming a writer. After running into Carter many times, UT student Ryan Chandler decided to interview him for a project for the Daily Texan, the student newspaper of UT.
“I interviewed him on Austin’s homeless problems. After I heard his story, we kept in touch and really became friends. I learned he wanted to get back to UT, so I decided to help him,” said Chandler. “He had got 87 hours, very close to a degree. Now, with changing degree requirements, he only has 64 hours to go.”
With the help of Chandler, who worked with the university office, Carter was assigned an adviser by UT’s College of Fine Arts. “It' s the greatest gift I’ve ever received,” Carter said. “He did what had to be done to get me back to school, and I couldn't have done it without him”
After seeing a magazine article about Carter, a UT schoolmate decided to pay his tuition fees (学费)without telling Chandler his name.
Doug Dempster, dean of the College of Fine Arts, said in a statement, “David Carter's decision to complete his degree is a testament (证明) to finishing well what was started, and stopped, even many years earlier. We welcome him back as we do many students each year whose education could not be completed easily. We’ re going to help him through his remaining course work.”
1.Why did Carter stop studying in the university?
A.He hurt an artist. B.He couldn’t afford his study.
C.He got a strange disease. D.He had a hand injury.
2.What was Chandler’s purpose in interviewing Carter?
A.To do a project on homelessness.
B.To know why he hung around UT.
C.To make friends with a homeless person.
D.To finish his homework on helping others.
3.Which of the following words can best describe Chandler?
A.Brave. B.Honest.
C.Warm-hearted. D.Strong-minded.
4.What can we learn from Dempster’s words in the statement?
A.He encourages Carter to study hard.
B.He supports students who never give up.
C.He calls on other students to help Carter.
D.He suggests other students learn from Carter.
The UK’s music festivals are world famous but there are plenty more to celebrate in the country.
Burns Night, Scotland
On 25 January. Scots celebrate the life and works of Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns by holding a special Burns Supper. This can be a casual gathering of friends or a huge formal dinner. Guests take it in turn to recite Burns’ poems or sing one of his songs.
Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye, Wales
For 10 days each May, the small town of Hay-on-Wye on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales is filled with writers, filmmakers, musicians, comedians, politicians, and people who come to hear them talk and exchange ideas. The festival celebrates great writing of all genres (体裁) and it all takes place in a tented village in the town.
Camp Festival, Dorset
As a branch of a festival held in Dorset, it’s one of the best family festivals in the UK. Held every year in the grounds of the historic Lulworth Castle in Dorset, the festival includes top live music acts but, as the organizers say, “kids are king” at Camp Festival, with a wide variety of entertainment, workshops and fun for kids. The 2020 Camp Festival takes place from 25 to 28 July.
Guy Fawkes Day or “Bonfire Night”
All over the UK on 5 November, the British light bonfires and set off fireworks in their back gardens or, more commonly these days, at organized events in public parks. They celebrate the Catholic Guy Fawkes’ failed attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament on 5 November, 1605.
1.Which festivals are related to literature?
A.Burns Night and Hay Festival.
B.Hay Festival and Camp Festival.
C.Burns Night and Guy Fawkes Day.
D.Camp Festival and Guy Fawkes Day.
2.When does the festival most appealing to children take place?
A.In January. B.In May.
C.In July. D.In November.
3.What does Guy Fawkes Day celebrate?
A.A historical event.
B.A successful explosion.
C.An organized strike.
D.An impressive building.
假定你是李华，你收到外国朋友Peter的邮件，他想了解你校在新冠疫情 (COVID-19 epidemic) 期间线上教学(online classes)的情况。请你给他回复邮件，内容包括：
1. 课程与时间； 2. 你的学习状态； 3. 你的期待。
注意：词数100左右；可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Peter,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
短文改错
Hello, boys and girls! Today, I am going to talk with what you should do when a fire alarm go off. If you hear the alarm, stand in line at the door and wait your teacher to lead you outside. Stay close to your teacher and classmate. Don't panic or get out of line, and trying to remain quiet and calmly. Soon the firefighters will come and put out a fire. If it's a false alarm and there is no fire, your teacher will lead us back to the classroom. If you notice that when someone is missing and hurt, tell your teacher immediately.
1.2.3.4.5.
6.7.8.9.10.
