The invention of steel frames in the late 1800s meant that the walls did not carry the weight of a structure. This development meant that suddenly much taller buildings were possible, and they could be built quickly. Skyscrapers had been born, and they were about to change the face of our cities.
Since 1901 the world’s tallest building had always been a skyscraper and until 1974 this was always in New York. Only after the end of the century did the tallest building appear outside North America, with the opening of the first building to be more than half a kilometer tall, Taipei 101.
Tall building are seen as a symbol of success and status by many but they are not always popular with local residents. The construction of the Shard, the tallest building in London and in the entire European Union, has been highly controversial. It is only a few hundred meters across the River Thames from the Tower of London--one of the oldest and most famous landmarks in London.Many feel that such modern constructions should not be built near to historic sites.
London residents should hope that the opening of the Shard doesn’t lead to a major downtown in their economy. The Empire State Building was finished in 1931, very soon after Wall Street crashed. The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur were built in 1988, just after the Asian financial crisis. The Burj Khalifa in Dubai was opened in early 2010, and shortly afterwards the emirate’s（酋长国的）investment company collapsed.
The Burj Khalifa might be the tallest structure in the world currently but its status is under threat from numerous planned buildings around the world. One tower which will probably never be built is the 4km high X-Seed 4000 in Tokyo. It was designed in 1995 to attract publicity rather than as a serious proposal, but who knows when such fanciful ideas could become a reality? The Burj Khalifa is more that double the height of the Empire State Building, and surely no one in 1931 would have imagined that.
1.What make the building of skyscrapers possible?
A.The using of the steel frames.
B.The improvement of the wall material.
C.The changing of the city face.
D.'The increase of the building height.
2.What is most Londoners' attitude towards the construction of the Shard?
A.Supportive. B.Uncooperative.
C.Acceptable. D.Critical.
3.How is paragraph 4 developed?
A.By analyzing possible reasons. B.By stating general characters.
C.By providing typical examples. D.By listing practical proposals.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Skyscrapers: symbol of success B.Skyscrapers: ideal buildings
C.The sky's fanciful ideas and reality D.The sky's the limit
Ultrasound（超声）is used widely in medical imaging, but in recent years scientists have started developing it for another use: stimulating nerves to treat disease. In two new studies in mice, researchers focused the sound waves on nerves in the spleen（脾）that communicate with the immune system, reducing symptoms. If the approach proves safe and effective in people, it could serve as a treatment for diseases such as arthritis（关节炎）.
In one study, led by scientists at the Feistein Institute and GE Research, mice receiving a few minutes of ultrasound treatment to the spleen nerve had a diminished symptoms to an injected（注射）poison. In another study, researchers at the University of Minnesota and their colleagues reduces symptoms of arthritis in mice by stimulating their spleen nerves for 20 minutes every day for a week. “Zeroing in on the spleen may provide a more precise approach than focusing on the vagus nerve（交感神经）, which connects with the immune system via a second nerve that stimulates the spleen.” says Hubert Lin, lead author of the latter study. “When we’re targeting the spleen we have less of an effect all over the body.”
“Little is known about how repeated ultrasound affects the spleen or whether it has other harmful effects,” says neuroscientist Denise Bellinger of Loma Linda University, who was not involved in either study. An ongoing clinical trial aims to assess the treatment’s safety in humans with arthritis. A bigger unknown is how ultrasound activates in general. Scientists are now exploring the use of ultrasound on other parts of the nervous system, including the brain. “We know how to control nerves with electricity, and we’ve been doing it for more than 100 years,” neuroscientist Kevin Tracey says, “But the idea of controlling nerve signals with ultrasound is a brand-new field.”
1.What do scientists expect of the new application of ultrasound?
A.It'll be applied in medical imaging
B.It'll be used to activate nerves to treat disease.
C.It’ll be applied in spleen transplantation.
D.It'll be employed to rebuild immune system.
2.What does the underlined word “diminished" in paragraph 2 mean?
A.Complicated. B.Worsened.
C.Decreased. D.Associated.
3.What is the concern of Denise Bellinger?
A.Side effect. B.Time length.
C.The procedure. D.The cost.
4.What is most likely the next step of the study?
A.Assessing the treatment' s safety on humans.
B.Activating nerves in general with ultrasound.
C.Exploring the use of ultrasound on the brain.
D.Controlling nerve signals with ultrasound.
With schools close in the UK during the COVID-19 outbreak, most children must now be homeschooled. Parents have found themselves not only having to balance work and having the children at home but also having to try and teach them. How can you keep your children focused while learning?
Nicola Anderson--Head of Customer Support at the UK’s leading online tutoring service MyTutor, provides new, up-to-date tips to hearten parents at this difficult time and advises how they can structure their children’s days.
One is to keep to a regular timetable so it still feels like your child is taking part in the school day. Ms Anderson said: “Children of all ages do well on routine and boundaries; schools provide this in abundance and it will most children feel secure and happy if they can follow a similar timetable for their homeschooling.”
Another tip is to create an environment which is favorable to learning. She said:” The environment should be free from distractions and ideally near to an open window, to provide them with appropriate levels of fresh air and natural light. Some children find it comfortable and helpful to have quiet, instrumental music playing in the background to help them to focus, but this isn’t for everyone.”
Using technology to help with your child’s learning is also advised. Many schools are offering online classes and resources to help and companies are reducing or even not charging their fees during this time.
It is also important to keep physical exercise as a part of your routine. Joe Wicks, otherwise known as The Body Coach, has been keeping kids healthy with daily 10 minute workouts for children on his Youtube channel. Ms Anderson said:” It can be anything from running around the garden, walking the dog, a game of football or dancing around your living room!”
1.Who is the text intended for?
A.Student. B.Teachers.
C.Coaches. D.Parents.
2.What does the underlined word“this" in paragraph 3 refer to?
A.Homeschooling. B.Tutoring service.
C.A regular timetable. D.Difficult time:
3.What may Nicola Anderson agree?
A.To allow children to adjust schedule freely.
B.To offer children peaceful study environment.
C.To recommend high-tech to online schools.
D.To combine routine with kids' mental heath.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.How to improve homeschooling efficiency.
B.How to obtain online learning resources.
C.How to study attentively at home.
D.How to design a proper schedule.
From virtual tours to e-learning tools, museums and art galleries have been sharing resources using digital platforms to continue to connect with the public, share collections and stories, and support those who are vulnerable（脆弱的）during closures and the COVID-19 crisis.
Hastings Museum and Art Gallery
Hastings Museum and Art Gallery is a family friendly museum in Hastings with a diverse collection of 97,000 objects of local history, fine a d decorative arts and natural sciences. To deal with the COVID-19 outbreak, we have launched a digital museum via the Twitter hashtag #HastingsDigitalMuseum as well as via out Facebook and Instagram pages.
The British Library
Over the past two years, our imaging specialists have been trying to digitise the globes, which form one of the most beautiful parts in the British Library’s vast maps collection. The virtual globes will be made available for up close interaction on the British Library’s website throughout 2020, with the first seven due for release on 26 March.
Art UK
Art UK is the online home for every public art collection in the UK. Art UK is a charity, which features almost digitised 250,000 artworks available online. Through our work, we make art available for everyone--for enjoyment, learning and research. From May we will offer users the opportunity to create and share albums of artworks as well as”digital surrogate（替代的）exhibitions”.
Leeds Art Gallery Online
The displays at Leeds City Art Gallery have been selected by the staff to reflect the richness and variety of the collections. Established masterpieces are presented alongside lesser known works. It includes recent acquisitions and long term works from the collection. The collection is quite large--only a fraction（部分）is on display at any one time. When not on show, these may be seen by appointment at the Gallery.
1.Which is the most inviting to a geography lover?
A.Hastings Museum and Art Gallery. B.The British Library.
C.Art UK. D.Leeds Art Gallery Online.
2.What is special about Art UK?
A.It is an ideal museum for a family.
B.It has the largest collection of art works.
C.It is a non-profit art learning service.
D.It displays lesser known works besides famous ones.
3.What is the purpose of the text?
A.To introduce virtual tours options. B.To inform readers of art events.
C.To provide a cure for COVID-19. D.To popularise art knowledge to readers.
Translation
1.我们从来没有像现在这样渴望上学。
2.既然你只能呆在家里，为什么不做你喜欢但又没时间做的事呢？
3.在欧洲，许多咖啡馆作为社会交往的理想场所，不得不关闭商店以应对公共卫生危机。
4.事实证明，当我们的国家面临困难时，每一个中国人，无论在国内还是国外，都愿意为祖国作出贡献。
Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
It's natural to feel the need to control something when everything around you feels out of control, and you feel helpless. When a friend of mine first heard about the coronavirus outbreak, she got down on her hands and knees and cleaned her kitchen floor. She told me, “My floor wasn't even dirty, but doing something constructive made me feel in control and that I was holding on to my power, despite the desperate circumstances.”
Your most powerful weapon against uncertainty is your perspective because nobody and no situation can take that from you unless you give it away. Your perspective can victimize or empower you. When you look for the upside in a downside situation and figure out what you can control and what you can't, it's easier to accept whatever is beyond your control.
