In recent years, the leaders and islanders of many small-island nations have warned that climate change is an existential threat to their homelands, fearing they could disappear under rising seas as the planet warms. But according to the latest research, small, low-lying islands dotted around the Pacific and the Caribbean—often seen as the places most vulnerable to global warming—can naturally adapt and raise themselves above disturbing waves.
A three-year study led by Britain’s University of Plymouth, which looked at coral reef islands such as the Maldives, found that tides move sediment (沉积物) to create higher altitude, a process that may keep islands habitable. These islands were formed hundreds of thousands of years ago by waves moving and piling up reef material or sediment to create higher ground—a natural defence mechanism that continues.
Low-lying island states are judged to be at greatest risk from increasingly powerful storms and rising oceans, with some making preparations to resettle their people within decades. Many are already building sea walls, appealing for international aid or setting up projects to repair damage caused by climate change impacts. The world’s tens of thousands of coral reef islands are mostly uninhabited, but are home to about one million people who largely rely on fishing or tourism for a living.
Scientists built a model coral reef and island in a laboratory tank with rising water levels and used computer models to reproduce how such islands respond to higher seas in reality. The results suggest that by choosing climate-adaptable infrastructure (基础设施) that allows for occasional flooding, like building on stilts (桩子) and movable houses, islanders with enough space could adapt to their shifting environment. Sea walls, however, are compromising the natural ability of the islands to adjust to rising sea levels. “If you stop the flooding of the islands, you also stop the movement of the sediment on top of the island,” said lead author Gred Masselink, professor of coastal geography at the University of Plymouth.
1.What does the underlined word “vulnerable” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A.Unnoticeable. B.Beneficial.
C.Significant. D.Sensitive.
2.What do we learn from the three-year study?
A.Piling-up sediment creates a natural defence for small islands.
B.Disturbing waves keep the islands unlivable.
C.A computer model is used to provide more space for islanders.
D.Sea walls prevent the disappearance of small islands.
3.Which word best describes low-lying island states’ attitude to rising seas?
A.Casual. B.Joyful.
C.Unconcerned. D.Defensive.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Small Islands May Not Disappear Under Rising Sea.
B.Climate Change Poses Threats to Small Islands.
C.The Climate-adaptable Infrastructures of Small Islands.
D.The Perfect Solution to Rising Seas for Small Islands.
As artificial intelligence (AI) systems become more subtle, we can expect them to be used more often in the world of human medicine and healthcare. AI is designed to imitate the human brain in decision making and learning, so with the computing power to learn tasks in days or even hours, it is possible to create medical AIs that rapidly outperform doctors in certain tasks.
Most of the AI systems working in medicine employ smart algorithms ( 算 法 ), with the machine and deep learning techniques, and are supported by speech recognition and computer or machine vision to make their decisions. It will be some time before researchers can develop artificial general intelligence systems capable of abstracting knowledge and developing their own experiences to share with other AIs. But firms like Microsoft, Google, Apple,
IBM and Facebook are preparing themselves up to deliver the most advanced AI personalized healthcare possible for patients around the world.
Data plays a hugely important role in helping AI systems learn about human medicine. AI systems are trained on large data sets gathered from real-life cases. Providing amounts of detailed patient information is a decisive factor for their success.
One of the most important areas for influencing global health is in the field of epidemiology ( 流行病学).
Predicting disease outbreaks can save millions of lives by having resources ready should the worst happen. Another field where medical AIs are making rapid advances is in diagnostics. Doctors base a lot of decisions on information from X-ray, CT and MRI images. Speeding up diagnoses from patient scans can rapidly improve patient care and outcomes.
Cardiologist (心脏病医生) Rima Arnaout developed an AI that beat human experts at correctly interpreting echocardiograms by 92 percent to 79 percent. She said that despite the result there is no hope of AI replacing human doctors any time soon. "As cardiologists, we read the images and then go see the patient," she said. "So we’re both reading images and practicing medicine. I don't think that the second piece will be taken over so quickly."
1.The purpose of this text is to introduce ________.
A.the speech recognition of AI systems
B.the computer vision of AI systems
C.the rise of AI systems in medicine
D.the development of AI in tech firms
2.What is the key to making medical AI systems successful?
A.Arriving at decisions.
B.Providing patient data.
C.Predicting disease outbreaks.
D.Speeding up diagnoses.
3.What can we infer from Rima's words?
A.She prefers practicing medicine to reading images.
B.AIs do better than cardiologists in seeing patients.
C.She is confident in the irreplaceable role of human doctors.
D.AIs are unable to read images with current technology.
The South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona will be open with limited services. Here’s how it will work, according to a statement from the park:
The south entrance (near Tusayan) will be open from 4 to 10 a.m. Visitors who are inside the park by 10 a.m. can remain until sunset.
Admission fees can be paid by way of machine at the gate (the entrance booths will not be staffed) or by purchasing a pass in advance at third-party sellers such as the Valle Travel Stop at State Route 64 and U.S. 180 or in Tusayan at the Grand Canyon Chamber & Visitors Bureau, Grand Canyon IMAX Theater, Grand Canyon Plaza Hotel or Red Feather Lodge.
What will be open at Grand Canyon
Day hiking on inner canyon trails
Limited food and beverage service at Market Plaza, Bright Angel Bicycles, EI Tovar patio and nearby hotels. Bring you own water and snacks just in case.
Bicycle and wheelchair rentals at Bright Angel Bicycles.
The Rim Trail and Greenway Trail system outside of the residential arca.
Desert View Drive is open as far east as Navajo Point, where vehicles will have to turn around.
What will be closed
The cast entrance and Desert View Watchtower area.
Visitor centers, museums and shuttle buses.
Hotels, restaurants, campgrounds, camper services and trailer village.
Center Road and access through the South Rim residential housing area.
The North Rim, Colorado River and the Tuweep area of Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument.
More: Grand Canyon's North Rim closed indefinitely Visit nps.gov/grca for more information.
For questions about backcountry reservations, email grca_bic@nps.gov.
Reach me at jill.cassidy@arizonarepublic com or follow me on Twitter@JillHikes.
1.How can the visitors gain access to the park?
A.By buying a pass on the spot. B.By paying the guard on duty.
C.By paying fees via machine. D.By applying for free admission.
2.What can you do in the park?
A.Hike after sunset. B.Rent a bike.
C.Visit a museum. D.Go camping.
3.If you'd like to visit backcountry, you may ________.
A.visit nps.gov/grca B.email grca_bic@nps.gov
C.enter jill.cassidy@arizonarepubric.com D.focus on Twitter@JillHikes
假设你是红星中学高三学生李华。 上周，你和同学们参加了朝阳区组织的“三大战疫 有我有你”海报设计活动。请根据以下四幅图的先后顺序，写一篇英文周记，记述整个过程。
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假设你是红星中学高三学生李华。你的英国朋友Jim在给你的邮件中提到他想看一个关于中国文化方面的展览，并请你推荐。请给他回信，内容包括：
1. 介绍展览的相关内容（例如：时间、地点、主题等）；
2. 说明你推荐该展览的原因；
3. 询问对方的意向。
注意：1. 词数不少于50；
2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim,
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Yours,
Li Hua
Anxiety Disorders
Everybody worries or feels nervous from time to time. 1. But for people with anxiety disorders, those fears and worries aren’t temporary. Their anxiety persists, and can even get worse over time.
Anxiety disorders can severely impair a person’s ability to function at work, school and in social situations. 2. Fortunately, though, there are effective treatments for anxiety.
In some cases, medications have a role in treating anxiety disorders. Yet research shows behavioral treatment, alone or in combination with medication, is a highly effective treatment for most people with an anxiety disorder.
Understanding Anxiety
Anxiety disorders are common in both adults and children. About 18 percent of U.S. adults and 25 percent of adolescents age 13 to 18 will experience anxiety, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. 3.
There are several major types of anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc.
Seeing a Psychologist About Anxiety Disorders
Though many types of anxiety disorders exist, research suggests that most are driven by similar underlying processes. People with anxiety disorders tend to become easily overwhelmed by their emotions, and they tend to have particularly negative reactions to those unpleasant feelings and situations.
4. Unfortunately, avoidance can backfire and actually feed the anxiety.
Psychologists are trained in diagnosing anxiety disorders and teaching patients healthier, more effective ways to cope. A form of psychotherapy known as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is highly effective at treating anxiety disorders. Through CBT, psychologists help patients learn to identify and manage the factors that contribute to their anxiety.
Psychotherapy for Anxiety Disorders: What to Expect
Psychotherapy is a collaborative process, where psychologists and patients work together to identify specific concerns and develop concrete skills and techniques for coping with anxiety.5. However, psychologists won't push patients into such scenarios until they’re sure they have the skills they need to effectively confront their fears. Psychologists sometimes use other approaches to treat anxiety disorders in addition to CBT, among which group psychotherapy and family therapy are two effective ways.
A.Anxiety disorders are very treatable.
B.Anxiety is a normal human reaction to stressful situations.
C.Anxiety can also interfere with a person’s relationships with family members and friends.
D.About 4 percent of adults, and nearly 6 percent of teens, have anxiety disorders classified as severe.
E.Often, people try to cope with those negative reactions by avoiding situations or experiences that make them anxious.
F.Patients can expect to practice their new skills outside of sessions to manage anxiety in situations that might make them uncomfortable.
G.People with anxiety worry about a number of concerns, such as health problems or finances, and may have a general sense that something bad is going to happen.
