During the winter in the Southern Hemisphere, a blue point of light shines overhead. The brilliant point on the sky, which looks like a bright star, is actually two stars in close orbit — accompanied by the closest known black hole to Earth.
The newly discovered black hole is about 1,011 light-years from our solar system in the star system HR 6819. Published today in Astronomy & Astrophysics, the object is locked in an orbit with two visible stars. It is estimated about four times the mass of the sun and about 2,500 light-years closer than the next black hole. “It seems like it’s been hiding in plain sight,” says astronomer Kareem El-Badry, a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in binary star (双子星) systems but wasn’t involved with the study. “HR 6819 is such a bright star (system) that people have been studying it since the 80s, but it seems like it’s had some surprises.”
“If you find one that is very close to you, and you assume you’re not special, then they must be out there everywhere,” says lead study author Thomas Rivinius, an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile. Researchers have long estimated that the Milky Way is home to hundreds of millions of black holes, objects whose gravitational fields (引力场) are so strong, not even light can escape. But finding these dark objects has proven extremely difficult. Dozens of black holes in the galaxy have been spotted “feeding” on nearby clouds of gas — a process that sends out x-rays as the material moves around the edges of the black hole. But the majority of black holes in our galaxy cannot be seen, so the only way to find them is by observing their gravitational effects on surrounding objects.
In follow-up work, researchers led by study co-author Petr Hadrava aim to study the light given off by HR 6819 and understand the precise identity of the two close stars.
1.What do we know about the newly discovered black hole?
A.It moves with two other stars.
B.It came into being in the 1980s.
C.It weighs much more than earth.
D.It can be seen easily during the winter.
2.What can we infer from Thomas Rivinius’s words in paragraph 3?
A.Most black holes are common.
B.More black holes can be found.
C.Black holes are difficult to learn.
D.Black holes exist in star systems.
3.What will scientists probably do next?
A.Learn more about the two close stars.
B.Analyze the light around the black hole.
C.Observe the influence of black holes on stars.
D.Study the black holes in the system of HR 6819.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.A New Star System in Universe
B.Two Special Stars in the Same Orbit
C.The Closest Black Hole to the Earth
D.The Biggest Black Hole in the Milky Way
Cryonics is the practice of cooling dead organic tissue. This is used on humans or animals that have recently died. The hope is to bring them back to life in the near future. By law, it can only be performed on humans after they are legally dead. Many scientists and doctors think cryonics is totally morally unacceptable. However, there are also many who support cryonics.
Supporters of cryonics hope that future technology will improve. Molecular technology is especially hoped to reverse (逆转) the early stages of clinical death. It is hoped that this will enable the repair of tissue on a very tiny level. It could also allow damaged tissues and organs to regenerate. They also assume that disease and aging will one day be reversible.
These supporters want to store the memory and identity from the brain of people who have recently died. Cryonics attempts to do this by using liquid that preserves the brain. If this is done before cooling, it will prevent injury. This cooling liquid saves the fine cell structures of the brain where memory and identity exist.
Critics of cryonics think this process is a waste of time and money. They base their opinions on the current level of science. It is true that cells, tissues, blood vessels, and some small animal organs can be reversibly preserved. Some frogs can even survive for a few months in a partially frozen state if they are kept a few degrees above freezing. But this is not true cryopreservation. There is no proof that the identity and memory of a person can be restored after death has occurred.
Critics also think that if it were possible to bring dead people back to life, it would cause many social problems. Critics worry it would cause a huge overpopulation problem. Many also think trying to reverse death is immoral because it is against the will of their God.
1.What can we know about cryonics from paragraph 1?
A.Cryonics is used before people's death.
B.All scientists aren't in favor of the use of cryonics.
C.Laws forbid the use of cryonics on legally dead people.
D.Cryonics tries to cool dead organic tissue by using liquid.
2.What does the underlined word ''regenerate'' in paragraph 2 mean?
A.copy. B.return.
C.freeze. D.regrow.
3.Why do critics oppose the use of cryonics?
A.It will make people's memory lost.
B.Injury will occur during the process.
C.There is scientific uncertainty about it.
D.It goes along with their religious belief.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A.The use of cryonics has a bright future.
B.Cryonics is still a controversial practice.
C.The practice of cryonics is limited by law.
D.There is an advance in medical technology.
Say the phrase “female environmental pioneers,” and among the names you will hear are Rachel Carson, who wrote pesticides; chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall; and 17-year-old climate-change activist Greta Thunberg. To mark Women’s History Month, Kidspost is sharing the story of an environmental pioneer who is not that famous but equally remarkable.
At age 3, Sylvia Earle found her lifelong passion while playing on a beach. A wave suddenly came up and knocked her over.
“My mother ... saw the big smile on my face and let me run back in,” Earle told a TV interviewer years later. “And I’ve been running back in ever since.”
Earle is now 84 years old and has spent a lifetime exploring the world’s oceans and working to protect them from pollution, overfishing and other threats.
She is a pioneer in using scuba gear. Scuba gear lets divers take breath underwater. She holds the world record for the deepest untethered walk on the ocean floor at 1,250 feet. This means she was not tied to anything when she was walking underwater. During this exploration, she planted a U.S. flag.
In 1998, Time magazine gave Earle its first Heroes for the Planet award. She was the first female chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It is the U.S. ocean and atmosphere group. She was also elected to the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Earle has spent her life teaching people about the ocean. She notes how much it affects the weather, and what we eat and drink. She has something to say to those who don’t understand why the ocean matters. “They should know that with every breath they take, every drop of water they drink, the ocean is touching them,” Earle says. “You should treat the ocean as if your life depends on it— because it does.”
1.What does Earle’s lifelong passion refer to?
A.Teaching people how to dive. B.Writing articles for magazines.
C.Exploring and protecting oceans. D.Providing equipment for divers.
2.What do we know about Earle from the text?
A.Earle is a world record holder.
B.Earle’s mother is in support of her work.
C.Earle is a remarkable British ocean explorer.
D.Earle is the only female chief scientist at NOAA.
3.Which of the following words can best describe Earle?
A.brave and conservative. B.devoted and courageous.
C.determined and rigid. D.ambitious and modest.
4.Which of the following statement will Earle agree with according to the text?
A.People should stop overfishing and eating seafood.
B.The ocean plays a significant role in human’s life.
C.The weather has a far-reaching effect on the ocean.
D.The exploration of the ocean can be done without limit.
Visiting 300,000 Works of Art in Paris Right Now
Stuck at home? You can still visit thousands of the greatest artworks in the City of Light for free. The cultural board of Paris' free city museums sorted through the city's top public museums to share must-see artworks.
The museums
Two are great writer's homes — Balzac and Victor Hugo — filled with period details as well as art designs. The Catacombs and the Crypts have collections of sculptures made out of bones. The best known is likely the Petit Palais with well-known works, including Claude Monet's Sunset on the Seine.
The artists
You can try searching for the most successful or the ones you're most interested in, or just start wandering, which is a great way to find fascinating paintings by lesser-known, but no less talented, artist like George Desvallieres.
The works of art
Don't know where to start? Search for Paul Cézanne's romantic paintings of women, depicting two young women lounging on the banks of the Seine which can be downloaded for free on the Paris Musées site.
The 360-degree moments
Want to enjoy works at Musee de l’Orangerie? Try the website of Google Art Project. Click through to the colorful wonders of Monet's Waterlilies exhibited at Paris museum. The virtual version lets you spin in 360-degree circles to take it all in, with no crowds blocking your view.
1.Which of the following are showed at the Catacombs and the Crypts?
A.Period details. B.Well-known works.
C.Art designs. D.Bone sculptures.
2.What can we infer about George Desvallieres?
A.He is good at painting women.
B.He has a great gift in painting.
C.He is popular throughout the world.
D.He has created many famous paintings.
3.Where can we enjoy Monet's Waterlilies at varied angles?
A.At Paris museum. B.On Google Art Project.
C.On the Paris Musées site. D.At Musee de l’ Orangerie.
假设你是高一学生李华，你的日本同龄朋友 Yuki 因为疫情也被隔离。现在在家利用钉钉进行网课的学习。但是她非常不习惯这种学习方式，担心会影响学业。同样在家学习的你想要帮助她，请给她写一封英文邮件，内容包括：
1. 安慰鼓励 Yuki；
2. 给她关于网课学习的建议，例如如何记笔记，如何和老师在线沟通，如何安排时间等；
3. 给予祝福。
参考词汇：疫情 epidemic 隔离 quarantine 钉钉 Ding Talk
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：
1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改 10 处，多者（从第 11 处起）不计分。
Dear Leo,
Know that you are in low spirits for the quarrels with your parents，I would like to help you, but I can totally understand your feelings.
To start with it, you should know what this kind of communication problem worries nearly all the teenagers. Therefore, you don’t have to blame yourself not having a good relationship with your parents.
Actually, it isn't easy for them to talk about myself with my parents either, so my solve is to write down my thoughts in a letter to them. We need to tell them what we want and learn to negotiate. For example, I once get my parents to let me hang out with my friends on weekends unless I got better scores.
What’s more, trust the love of your parents for you and have some faith in them.
They will absolute listen to you and understand you in the end.
I’m looking forward to your good news.
Yours,
Li Hua
