A tiny clue found in ancient deposits has unlocked big secrets about Greenland’s past and future climate. Just beyond the northwest edge of the vast Greenland Ice Sheet, researchers have discovered lake mud that have survived the last ice age. The mud, and remains of common flies in it, record two interglacial periods（间冰期）in northwest Greenland.
Although researchers have long known these two periods—the early Holocene and Last Interglacial—experienced warming in the Arctic, the mix of fly species shows that Greenland was even warmer than previously thought. “As far as we know, it has never been found in Greenland. We think this is the first time anyone has reported it in ancient deposits or modern lakes there,” Axford said. “We were really surprised to see how far north it migrated (迁徙).”
This new information could help researchers better measure Greenland’s sensitivity to warming, by testing and improving models of climate and ice sheet behaviour. Those models could then improve predictions of how Greenland’s ice sheet might respond to man-made global warming. After all, Greenland covers 80 per cent of the Arctic country and holds enough ice to equal 20 feet of global sea level. “Northwest Greenland might feel really remote, but what happens to that ice sheet is going to matter to everyone in every coastal city around the world,” said Yarrow Axford, an associate professor in the team. “One of the big uncertainties in climate science is how fast the Earth changes when it gets warmer. Geology gives us an opportunity to see what happened when the Earth was warmer than today,” said Axford.
People might be surprised to see how today’s Greenland looked during the last two interglacial periods. During the Last Interglacial, global sea levels increased by 15 to 30 feet, largely due to thinning of Greenland and Antarctica’s ice sheets. However, now researchers believe northern Greenland’s ice sheet experienced stronger warming than previously thought, which could mean that Greenland is more responsible for that sea-level rise.
Finding lake deposits older than about 10,000 years, however, has been historically very difficult in Greenland. To measure these ancient temperatures, researchers look to ice cores (冰核) and lake deposits. Since ice and lake deposits form by a gradual buildup on annual layers of snow or mud, these cores contain history of the past. By looking through the layers, researchers can obtain climate clues from centuries ago.
1.Why are the remains of flies mentioned in the first two paragraphs?
A.They serve as evidence that there is still life in the Northwest Greenland.
B.They were one of the many ancient lives that were left in the Greenland mud.
C.They are indicators that Greenland was much warmer than previously thought.
D.They help the researchers realize that there was once a warm period in the Arctic.
2.The new information about Greenland is important because______________.
A.researchers have no idea how to measure Greenland’s warming speed
B.it can help researchers better predict Greenland’s response to warming
C.people should be more sensitive to the changes in the ice in Greenland
D.it is uncertain how fast the Earth changes with man-made global warming
3.Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A.It is easier for today’s scientists to find ancient lake deposits.
B.People are surprised at the landscape feature of Greenland today.
C.Researchers measure the changing temperatures by directly examining mud.
D.Greenland holds enough ice that might one day threaten life in coastal cities.
4.Which do you think is the best title of the passage?
A.Greenland Used to Be Much Greener
B.Earth Once Experienced Warm Periods
C.Coastal Cities Warned of Coming Disasters
D.Northwest Greenland, A Perfect Destination
Taking your pulse during physical activity allows you to measure how hard you are exercising. You should exercise to stay within your target heart range.
Increasing your heart rate is a key part of exercise, but it is important that your heart rate is not too high or too low. If you are a beginner, you should also be able to breathe comfortably while exercising. This will ensure that you are exercising at a level that is safe and effective for your body.
The chart below illustrates target heart rate ranges for exercise based on the maximal heart rate for selected ages. Here are the steps for using the chart:
1.Which of the following is TRUE?
A.Exercise intensity can be reflected by a person’s heart rate.
B.The faster your heart rate is, the more effective the exercise is.
C.Vigorous exercise will definitely present a threat to people’s safety.
D.The target exercise heart rate range for a 45-year-old is 90–149 BPM.
2.A 34-year-old man is running and the number of pulses he takes for 15 seconds is 40.
His fitness coach had better tell him _____________.
A.“You are doing fine.” B.“You can run faster.”
C.“You should slow down a bit.” D.“You should drink some water.”
3.What is the purpose of this passage?
A.To advise people to form a habit of taking their pulses while exercising.
B.To inform people of the target heart rate zone for those aged 60 and under.
C.To tell people the importance of maintaining moderate amount of exercise.
D.To show people how to measure heart rate to keep proper exercise intensity.
When she was ten years old, Isadora Duncan dropped out of school to teach people dance. If that job was left to any other ten-year-old, it would have turned out frustrating, difficult, and a little discouraging.
But Duncan was different. Not only was she already talented enough to earn money even at that age, but she also had a rare kind of confidence that helped her treat troubles as fuel —something to elevate the fire that is already burning inside of her.
It’s no surprise, then, that when she moved to New York to join a theatre company, she found herself restricted. The existing dancing style, their way of operating—all of this seemed to her the work of a misguided past. Duncan was very direct about what she wanted, confidently telling people she had a different vision of dance that she was going to spread in the world. This, naturally, led to ridicule and laughs early on, but as she built up her work, these instances became less frequent. Today, she is remembered as “The Mother of Dance,” with much of the modern art owing its expressive style to her influence. Inspired by the ancient Greeks, she brought the style to life.
In her autobiography (自传), one of the things Duncan frequently refers to as the basis of her expressive spirit is the fact that she had a childhood where she wasn’t constantly watched. The expectations of her mother (who raised her) were open-ended. It was the freedom of this lifestyle that drove her to see what she could do.
Growing up, before she left school, she was told one of two things: that she was either completely useless or that she was a genius. There was nothing in between. Even when she started working, people either bowed to her or they basically ignored her. But there wasn’t one moment Duncan doubted her own genius.
There is an old quotation “if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” And it captures an important truth. At school, Isadora Duncan was a failure. In the dance hall, she gave form to brilliance.
1.What does the underlined phrase “treat troubles as fuel” mean?
A.Duncan used troubles to push her forward towards her dream.
B.Duncan was good at burning away everyday troubles.
C.Troubles turned Duncan into a confident girl.
D.Troubles lit the fire of dancing in Duncan.
2.Which of the following is TRUE about Duncan?
A.Her experience in New York was the foundation of her career.
B.Her teaching job when she was little destroyed her confidence.
C.Her dancing style was not very well received at the beginning.
D.Her mother set higher expectation on her than she could bear.
3.What does the author try to tell the readers in the last paragraph?
A.It is useless climbing a tree to catch fish.
B.Everybody is a genius in his own way.
C.Miseries come from human stupidity.
D.Teachers can impact students greatly.
4.What is this passage mainly about?
A.Isadora Duncan’s childhood and her achievements today.
B.Duncan’s career development and other dancers’ opinions of her.
C.Isadora Duncan’s early experiences and the reasons for her success.
D.Duncan’s high status in the dancing world and her unique expressive style.
Researchers find that in new product design, connecting with users’ heart, rather than their head, can lead to more original and creative outcomes.
Developing original and _______ products is critical to a company’s long-term success. Thus, understanding what influences originality can have important and potentially _______ consequences for businesses. Ravi Mehta, a professor of business administration, shows that adopting a(n) _______ that imagines how the user would feel while using a product leads designers to experience greater empathy（同感）, which _______ creativity and, in turn, outcome originality for new product design.
There are two ways that the product designer can _______ the consumer’s product usage. One focuses on objective use of the product—how consumers might use the product, that is, an “objective –imagination” approach. The other focuses on feelings—how the product makes the consumer feel, a “feelings-imagination” approach.
Consumers always want to have new products that solve problems more efficiently and at a less cost. So product designers _______ this trap of being very objective in focusing on the use of a product. That’s important, but the _______ of usage can only attract consumers in some ways._______, the feelings-imagination approach leads designers to experience greater empathy, which makes them more _______ to the consumers’ ideas. This leads to greater outcome originality. Mehta said, “when you imagine consumers and focus on their feelings, that’s powerful and will lead to something much more innovative than only focusing on a product’s usage.” The research shows that a feelings-based approach is _______ to the commonly used objective-based approach, the researchers wrote. It not only helps product designers build a better product, but it also helps them create more innovative products.
The implications of the findings extend to everyday consumers, who now play a role in shaping companies’ design. Mehta said, “Marketers are increasingly _______ consumers for new product ideas.”_______, there was a very successful campaign a few years ago that focused on getting consumers to create a new potato chip flavor.
The experiments demonstrated a _______effect of adopting a feelings-imagination approach. That suggests that these designers may _______ imagining users’ feelings. In this way, designers can develop products that could _______ to the masses. Companies can easily adopt this process and promote feelings-imagination exercises through their websites or social media.
1.A.primary B.innovative C.natural D.domestic
2.A.temporary B.slight C.indefinite D.profitable
3.A.policy B.proposal C.approach D.standard
4.A.enhances B.exhibits C.illustrates D.explores
5.A.recommend B.extend C.exploit D.imagine
6.A.fall apart B.figure out C.fall into D.turn into
7.A.originality B.objectivity C.creativity D.flexibility
8.A.In conclusion B.In addition C.As a result D.By contrast
9.A.open B.harmful C.resistant D.equal
10.A.evident B.superior C.relevant D.alert
11.A.joining in B.applying to C.turning to D.taking in
12.A.In reality B.In other words C.What’s more D.For example
13.A.dramatic B.positive C.negative D.serious
14.A.depend on B.benefit from C.contribute to D.involve in
15.A.appeal B.refer C.adapt D.commit
Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.
This is where my kids grew up
For years now, I’ve been wanting to sell our home, the place where my husband and I raised our kids. But to me, this house is more than just a building. In the front room, there’s a wall that has hundreds of pencil lines. Every growth stage 1.(mark) in pencils, with each child’s name and the date.
Of all the objects and all the memories, it’s this one thing in a home that’s 2.(hard) to leave behind. Our kids grow in so many ways, but the wall is physical evidence of their progress. Friends I know have visited their previous home only 3.(discover) their wall of heights has been freshly painted over. Over the years, I’ve talked about how much I would hate leaving that wall behind when I moved, 4. the last marks were made 10 years ago when my kids stopped growing. So one day, while I was at work, my children decided to do 5. about it.
They hired Jacquie Manning, a professional photographer 6. work is about capturing the beautiful things in life. She came to our house while I was at work, and over several hours, 7.(take) photos of the hundreds of drawings and lines, little grey fingerprints, and old marks. Somehow, she managed to photograph 8. we had experienced in all those years. Afterwards, she put all the photos together into one image, 9.(transform) them into a beautiful history of my family.
Three weeks later, my children’s wonderful gift made its way to me —10. life-size photo of the pencil lines and fingerprints that represents entire lifetimes of love and growth.
语法填空
The day that you all the 1. (satisfy) of having all the housework 2. (do) by a robot might still be a few decades off. But increasingly engineers are saying that 3. (robot) are going to make the leap from the factory floor to your family room.
Bill Gates once predicted the “Dawn of the Age of Robots”. What’s behind this new era? It’s 4. (part) a matter of technology. Devices that can recognize and respond to a human voice have been developed. There are now a few different ways for robots 5. (move) around. They can walk, crawl or ride on wheels. They are being made smaller these days and also becoming 6. (efficient).
A bigger part of the story depends 7. the consumers. People around the world have tirelessly searched for ways to get lazier since the 1950s 8. the television remote control was invented. Also considering the increasing wealth of people, engineers believe the opportunity 9. (appear) ripe to introduce robots to ease our daily lives. Robots will do most of the basic housework 10. just help you have more fun on the basketball court.
