DNA analysis has revealed family relationships between more than 10 generations of Stone Age people at megalithic (巨石的) tombs in Ireland and Sweden.
The evidence suggests that megaliths, prehistoric large stone structures, sometimes acted as graves for family groups in northwestern Europe thousands of years ago. The latest findings throw new light on the origins and social structure of the groups that built megaliths in this region—a history that has long been hidden in mystery.
For their study, the international team of researchers analyzed the genomes—the complete set of genetic material in a cell—of 24 Stone Age individuals from five megalithic burial sites in Ireland, Scotland and Gotland, a large Swedish island in the Baltic Sea.
This analysis showed that many of the individuals buried at each megalith, who all lived between 3,800 B.C. and 2,600 B.C., according to radiocarbon-dating of their remains, were closely related via family ties.
The results also showed that the individuals buried at the megaliths were related to Neolithic farmers in northern and western Europe but genetically distinct from other hunter-gatherers. This was particularly noticeable at the Ansarve site on the island of Gotland.
“The people buried in the Ansarve tomb are remarkably different on a genetic level compared to the individuals dug out from hunter-gather contexts, showing that the burial tradition in this megalithic tomb, which lasted for over 700 years, was performed by distinct groups with roots in the European Neolithic expansion,” Magdalena Fraser, co-first author from Uppsala University, said in the statement.
1.What’s the significance of the new findings?
A. It reveals the family ties between people in Ireland and Sweden.
B. It implies that many people buried in the tombs were closely related.
C. It indicates the long-hidden mystery concerning DNA analysis.
D. It suggests that the megaliths became tombs thousands of years ago.
2.How did the researchers reach their findings?
A. By interviewing individuals. B. By travelling to different regions.
C. By analyzing genes. D. By studying the burial sites.
3.Which is true according to the latest findings?
A. Some people buried in the tombs were related to farmers.
B. Few people buried in the tombs were genetically different.
C. All the people buried at megaliths had family relationships.
D. People buried in the Ansarve tomb were dug out 700 years later.
4.What’s the main idea of this passage?
A. Megaliths served as tombs thousands of years ago.
B. People buried at the megaliths were recently analyzed.
C. Latest findings shed light on a mystery about burials.
D. Stone-Age people in Ireland and Sweden had close ties.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Smart Kids Festival Events
Smart Kids is a collection of one hundred events scheduled in October. This year, it is experimenting with Pay What You Decide (PWYD). That is, you can decide to pay what you want to or can afford, after you have attended an event. You can pre-book events without paying for a ticket in advance. Here are some of the director’s picks.
Walk on the Wild Side
Not ticketed, Free
Join storyteller Sarah Law to hear science stories about animals. Along the way you’ll meet all sorts of beautiful creatures and discover life cycles and food chains. Best suited to children aged 5-9. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.
Introduction to Waves
Pre-book, PWYD
Subjects range from sound waves to gravity waves, and from waves of light to crashing waves on the ocean. Mike Goldsmith explores the fundamental features shared by all waves in the natural world.
Science in the Field
Not ticketed, Free
This storytelling night features a scientist sharing his favourite memories of gathering first-hand data on various field trips. Come along for inspiring and informative stories straight from the scientist’s mouth. Join Mark Samuels to find out more in this fun-filled workshop.
Festival Dinner
Pre-book, £25 per person
Whether you want to explore more about food, or just fancy a talk over a meal, join us to mark the first science festival in London. Which foods should you eat to trick your brain into thinking that you are full? Find out more from Tom Crawford.
1.In which event can you decide the payment?
A. Walk on the Wild Side
B. Introduction to Waves
C. Science in the Field
D. Festival Dinner
2.Who will talk about experiences of collecting direct data?
A. Sarah Law.
B. Mike Goldsmith.
C. Mark Samuels.
D. Tom Crawford.
3.What do the four events have in common?
A. Family-based.
B. Science-themed.
C. Picked by children.
D. Filled with adventures.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Almost none of us have the time to read everything we’d like to read. Yet we lose countless hours to daily activities that bring us little joy like taking buses and waiting in line. What if we could turn these little blocks of unoccupied time into precious and rewarding moments for learning and reflection?
Founded in 2012, iReader, a micro-learning app on mobile phones, brings the biggest ideas from best-selling books through 15-minute audio (音频) and text. So far, more than 3,000 books have been included, ranging from psychology and parenting to management and economics, with new titles added every day.
Reader is pioneering a new method of reading, with over 9 million users enjoying the benefits already. According to the Pew Research Center (PRC), the British read just 4 paper books a year and over 25% haven’t read a single paper book this year, but reading isn’t dying. There are now more ways for the British to read than ever before, due to the widespread use of e-books and audio books.
The books in iReader are rewritten to ensure it is easy to remember the main content. The way the content is edited has been specifically designed to ensure it is useful in practice. Besides, the content is rewritten with relevant examples in real life, which means users are more likely to remember and apply what is helpful to them.
Holger Seim, German co-founder of this app, declares, “iReader gives you the biggest ideas in the shortest possible time. It transforms great ideas into little packs you can listen to or read in just 15 minutes.”
1.What does the author suggest people do in the unoccupied time?
A. Read and think.
B. Write and share.
C. Avoid taking buses.
D. Bring joy to daily routines.
2.What can we infer from the PRC findings?
A. The British benefit a lot from reading.
B. Reading methods are more important than before.
C. Digital technology are taking the place of paper books.
D. New forms of books are changing the way the British read.
3.How does iReader make the content easy to remember?
A. By bringing fun to it.
B. By making it useful.
C. By using artistic designs.
D. By taking users as examples.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. iReader Prevents Reading from Dying
B. iReader Unites Worldwide Book-lovers
C. iReader: The Best New App Creation
D. iReader: Big Ideas in Small Packages
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
I visited Elba last June, joining Mary and John on a bicycling vacation. They made the arrangements for the car, hotel and bicycles. I studied the history of the island, which of course particularly features Napoleon.
Napoleon (now I know) picked Elba as a place for peace when he was forced to give up the throne (王权) as Emperor of France in 1814. Far from being a prison island, Elba is beautiful with towering mountains, thick forests and sweeping bays and beaches.
It is also an island filled with treasure. Very early on this island, locals discovered rich deposits of iron. Soon outsiders, too, discovered the iron and 150 other valuable minerals on this little piece of land. Long before Etruscans and other Greeks set foot on it, Dorians had moved in by the tenth century B. C. and were mining the island. The Romans ruled next, obtaining the minerals and building grand houses overlooking the sea. From the twelfth century until the nineteenth, the island was traded back and forth and was passed to France in 1802. Then came Napoleon, the new ruler of Elba.
I was eager to visit his house in Portoferraio. The Emperor lived with his court and his mother, but his wife, Marie Louise had ensconced herself in the splendid Viennese palace of her father, Emperor of Austria. She lived safely there and showed little interest in visiting her husband in his mini-kingdom. Apparently, Napoleon wasn’t troubled much by this. He was too busy riding everywhere on horseback, building roads, modernizing agriculture and, above all, sharpening his tiny army and navy into readiness for his escape.
In the formal gardens behind the house it seemed to me that I could imagine the exiled (流放的) conqueror’s anxious thoughts. He might gaze over where I stood now, toward the lighthouse of the Stella fort, the sandy bay, and across it, the green mountains of the Tuscan coast. Napoleon spent only ten months here before making his victorious return to France and the throne.
1.What did the author do for the visit to Elba?
A. He did research on its past.
B. He arranged transportation.
C. He planned bicycling routes.
D. He booked accommodation.
2.Who might be the earliest outsiders to Elba according to the text?
A. Napoleon and his army. B. Etruscans and other Greeks.
C. Dorians. D. Romans.
3.What does the underlined word “ensconced” probably mean?
A. Settled. B. Locked.
C. Cured. D. Controlled.
4.What came to the author’s mind during his visit to Napoleon’s gardens?
A. Beautiful views on Elba.
B. Terrible living conditions on Elba.
C. Napoleon’s ambition to regain power.
D. Hardship of Napoleon’s return to France.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入 1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
The Forbidden City in Beijing, home to the Palace Museum, houses more than 1.8 million cultural relics and is one of the world’s most visited tourist attractions.
1. (mark) the 600th anniversary of the Forbidden City, the Palace Museum will hold a series of events throughout 2020. Over 20 exhibitions will be held, 2. (cover) different areas such as history, art, festivals, and so on. For the special occasion, Along the River during the Qingming Festival, one of China’s most 3. (wide) known masterpieces, will go on display in September 2020. For 4. (it) best preservation, this treasured artwork is seldom fully exhibited. The painting 5. (display) for the first time back in 2005 to celebrate the museum’s 80th anniversary. Such 6. rare sight is expected to draw huge crowds. In addition, the museum will also display exhibits from other 7. (country).
During the past few years, the Palace Museum has been working hard to get the public familiar 8. the history and culture of the Forbidden City. And it seems that these efforts have been paying off, with its 9. (popular) reaching a new height. Over 17 million people visited the museum in 2018, of 10. 40 percent were under 30 years old.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
What is the weather like now?
A.It’s cloudy. B.It’s rainy. C.It’s sunny.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
When will the plane arrive?
A.At 3: 30 pm. B.At 4:00 pm. C.At 4: 30 pm.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
What will the man do during his vacation?
A.Stay home. B.Visit his aunt. C.Tour around London.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
What does the woman mean?
A.She also has poor eyesight.
B.The man’s glasses are up to date.
C.The man should change his glasses.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Where does the conversation take place?
A.At a pool. B.In a classroom. C.In a gym.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What will the man do first after school?
A.Prepare for a test. B.See a film. C.Buy a book.
2.Where will the man meet his friends?
A.At a bookstore. B.At an ice-cream shop. C.At a cinema.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the matter with the cooker?
A.It can’t be turned on. B.It can’t be turned off. C.It can’t get hot.
2.What does the man offer to do with the cooker?
A.Change it for a new one. B.Try to fix it himself first. C.Take it to the repair shop.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the woman’s favorite subject?
A.Spanish. B.Art. C.History.
2.How does the woman feel about her future career?
A.Hesitant. B.Certain. C.Hopeless.
3.What is the woman planning to do straight after leaving school?
A.Work as a journalist. B.Start university. C.Go travelling.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What’s the woman?
A.A receptionist. B.A saleswoman. C.A journalist.
2.What is the name of the man?
A.Charles C. Nelson. B.Charles T. Nelson. C.Charles Nelson.
3.What is the date today?
A.May 17th. B.May 18th. C.May 19th.
4.How much will the man pay?
A.$ 250. B.$225. C.$ 200.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.When was the sweater bought?
A.On September 25th. B.On October 12th. C.On October 25th.
2.What is the speaker’s problem with the sweater?
A.It became out of shape. B.It was the wrong size. C.It was washed in a wrong way.
3.What does the speaker mainly complain about?
A.The price. B.The service. C.The quality.
4.Who is the speaker probably speaking to?
A.A manager. B.A shop assistant. C.A member of the helpline staff.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
Imagine an area 34 times the size of Manhattan. Now imagine it covered ankle-deep in plastic waste—a total of about 19 billion pounds of garbage. 1..
“We’re being overwhelmed(淹没) by our waste,”said Jenna Jambeck, an environmental engineer who led the 2015 study that determined this astonishing number. 2., unless something is done to stop the tide of garbage.
Plastic—a widely-used material—has in many ways been a benefit to humans but it has also caused a growing problem. Today, plastics are the No.1 type of garbage found in the sea. Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit that organizes an annual coastal cleanup event worldwide, said plastic waste makes up around 85 percent of the garbage collected from beaches and oceans.
Ocean Conservancy says plastics are believed to threaten(威胁)at least 600 different wildlife species(物种). 3.; a growing body of evidence suggests humans are consuming plastics through the seafood we eat. A research suggests some plastics could be poisonous to humans, and could potentially increase the risk of health problems.
4.. At the Economist World Ocean Summit this week, ten nations announced to reduce plastic sea liter as part of UN Environment's CleanSeas campaign. 5.Corporations also have a role, as do individuals. We can start by thinking twice before using single-use plastic products—and when we do use them, we should take care to properly throw them off or recycle.
A. The following is what we should do
B. And it’s not just wildlife that’s threatened
C. And this figure is likely to double by 2025
D. But it’s not just countries that need to do their part
E. By 2050,that figure is expected to rise to 1000 pieces
F. That’s how much plastic waste ends up in our oceans every year
G. All of us have an important role to play in dealing with the problems
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
I used to hate running. It seemed too hard, and pushing outside my comfort ______ was not something I was raised to do.
In fact, I wouldn’t have become a(n)______ if it weren’t for my husband Charles He had been a ______ competitive runner for many years. After our marriage, he wouldn’t stop talking about how much he ______ it.
So he picked it up again, and after about a year, I started to join him at the ______. Just a few weeks later, Charles signed us both up for a five-kilometer race. I ______ about doing it. It was too soon.
But on race day, there I was.
The gun went off Thousands of runners ______.
The first kilometer was tough. I was already breathing ______ and painfully aware of the group of runners____ past me.
After another minute I saw the three-kilometer ______.All I could think of was that I was ______.
I rounded a comer, and saw both sides of the street______ with people watching the race, all cheering the runners on. I ______ my legs to keep going.
Then I looked up and saw the clock. The ______ ticking away gave me an incentive(助力). I knew that if I had ______ finished this race I would have achieved something, So, I ______ up, and kicked it.
I had my arms ______ higher when I passed through the finish line. A volunteer put a(n) ______ around my neck.
“You did great! I’m so proud of you!” Charles was thrilled that I’d ______.
“That was amazing! I want to do another race.” I proudly hugged my medal as we started to walk to the post-race festivities. My lungs and my comfort zone both______.
1.A.block B.line C.emotion D.zone
2.A.wife B.coach C.expert D.runner
3.A.serious B.common C.casual D.sharp
4.A.hated B.missed C.admired D.trained
5.A.race B.department C.track D.ceremony
6.A.hesitated B.puzzled C.cared D.brought
7.A.slipped away B.backed off C.pushed forward D.came over
8.A.mildly B.shallowly C.gently D.heavily
9.A.running B.bending C.reaching D.pacing
10.A.symbol B.mark C.pattern D.campaign
11.A.hopeful B.speechless C.dying D.moving
12.A.stuck B.crowded C.provided D.directed
13.A.sunk B.bent C.shook D.willed
14.A.seconds B.titles C.criteria D.competitors
15.A.also B.actually C.just D.unfortunately
16.A.dressed B.came C.stayed D.straightened
17.A.kept B.crossed C.held D.tied
18.A.rope B.medal C.necklace D.award
19.A.got it B.meant it C.made it D.defeated it
20.A.trembled B.expanded C.ached D.erupted
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处，每处错误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。
Rope skipping is a sport suitable for people of all age. People skip rope for fun and exercise.
Every student are able to learn to skip. You can skip alone or with your classmates. If you skip alone, you will need short rope about double the length of your high. You should turn the rope slow so that you can skip safely. It might help with if you can sing a rhyme while skips.
When you skip rope, your heart beats fast than usual and your body is stressed. Therefore, stop for a rest after you injure yourself. So, pick up a rope, finding a silly rhyme and start skipping.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假设你是学生会主席李华，你校拟组织美国交换生到孔子庙参观，委托你通知相关事宜, 请你写一则书面通知，要点包括:
1 .集合时间和地点;
2.活动内容:参观孔子庙、古建筑、观看木偶戏；
3.预先准备:简要了解孔子文化。
注意:
1.可适当发挥，使短文连贯、通顺；
2.文中不能出现考生的具体信息；
3. 词数:100左右。
参考词汇:1.孔子庙the Confucius Temple 2.木偶戏puppet show
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难度: 困难查看答案及解析