John B. Goodenough, an engineering professor from the University of Texas at Austin, has been awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry-jointly with M. Stanley Whittingham, a chemistry professor from the State University of New York and Japan’s Akira Yoshino, a professor of Meijo University-for the development of lithium-ion batteries (锂电池). According to the Nobel Committee, the three scientists “have created the right conditions for a wireless and fossil fuel-free society, and so brought the greatest benefit to humankind”.
Goodenough, born in 1922, identified and developed the key materials that can power portable electronics, leading to the wireless revolution. Today, batteries containing Goodenough’s innovations are used worldwide for mobile phones, power tools, laptops, tablets and other wireless devices, as well as electric vehicles.
Goodenough received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Yale University and a doctorate in physics from the university of Chicago. He beat the odds against him, first overcoming dyslexia (阅读困难症) as a child, and then the claim of a teacher who told the doctoral student in his 20s that he had started too late to be successful in physics.
He began his career in 1952 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory, where he laid the groundwork for the development of random-access memory (RAM) for the digital computer. After MIT, Goodenough became a professor and head of the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory at the University of Oxford where in 1979 he discovered it would be possible to store energy in rechargeable batteries through lithium cobalt oxide (锂钴氧化物).That discovery helped develop the lithium-ion battery. Goodenough joined the University of Texas at Austin in 1986, where his groundbreaking work continued.
At 97 years old, he still continues to push the boundaries of materials science. Despite the lithium-ion battery being well developed and available as a commercial product, it has its limitations. It can’t be charged too fast or overcharged. Goodenough still wants to see some new developments.
“I hope Ut-Austin still keeps me employed,” Goodenough once joked.
1.The underlined phrase “beat the odds” in Paragraph 3 means “ “.
A.become very famous B.face the challenges
C.win the competition D.overcome the difficulties
2.What can we infer from the passage?
A.In MIT, Goodenough made the important discovery leading to the development of the Lithium-ion battery.
B.When he studied for his doctorate in university, not all his teachers encouraged him to be successful.
C.According to the Nobel Committee, Goodenough made the greatest contributions in the discovery.
D.Because of his old age, Goodenough found it difficult to improve the limitations of the lithium-ion battery.
3.What is the best title for the text?
A.The Father of the Lithium-ion Batteries. B.Three Scientists are Awarded the Nobel Prize.
C.Make the World “Good enough”. D.It’s Never too Old to Learn.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
AIDS may be one of the most undesirable diseases in the world. Luckily, there is now hope for AIDS patients. According to a recent paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Chinese scientists have successfully used CRISPR technology-a method of gene editing-to treat a patient with HIV. While it may not have cured the patient fully, it still represents a huge step forward in fighting the disease.
The patient was a 27-year-old Chinese man who was diagnosed with both AIDS and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of blood cancer. Despite his bleak situation, doctors offered him a glimmer of hope: a bone marrow (骨髓) transplant to treat his cancer and an experimental treatment for his HIV.
They edited the DNA in bone marrow stem cells from a donor before transplanting the cells into the patient. Specifically, the treatment involved using the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to delete a gene known as CCRS, which encodes a protein that HIV uses to get inside human cells. Without the gene, HIV is unable to enter cells. Talking about the gene, lead scientist Deng Hongkui told CNN, “After being edited, the cells-and the blood cells they produce-have the ability to resist HIV infection.” Nineteen months after the treatment, the patient’s leukemia was in complete relief and donor cells without CCR5 remained, according to the research paper.
Though the transplant did not cure the man’s HIV, it still showed the effectiveness of gene-editing technology, as there was no indication of any unintended genetic alterations (改变) -a major concern with past gene therapy experiments.
Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in the United States, who was not involved in the study, praised the treatment. “They did a very innovative experiment, it was safe,” he told Live Science. “It should be viewed as a success.”
Deng believes gene-editing technology could “bring a new dawn” to blood-related diseases such as AIDS and sickle cell anemia. Thanks to this new technology, “the goal of a functional cure for AIDS is getting closer and closer,” he said.
1.How did the new treatment fight against HIV?
A.By preventing HIV from entering cells. B.By changing the structure of HIV.
C.By removing a protein that HIV feeds on. D.By identifying and killing HIV.
2.What was the result of the treatment?
A.CCR5 and other genes in the patient’s cells were changed.
B.Some of the patient’s blood cells could resist HIV infection.
C.HIV could no longer get into the patient’s cells.
D.The donor cells without CCR5 disappeared finally.
3.What do we know about the experiment?
A.It has provided an innovative way to cure AIDS patients.
B.It pointed out the problems of gene therapy for AIDS.
C.It’s the first experiment to use gene-editing technology to treat AIDS.
D.It could offer a safe treatment for blood-related diseases.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
When HarmonyOS, the Chinese self-developed operating system for Huawei mobile devices, was released on Aug 9, it quickly became a hot topic on social media. Many believe it not only represents the rise of the country as a tech power, but also pays tribute (致敬) to classical Chinese culture by naming the system “Hongmeng” in Chinese. “Hongmong” is a classical word from the Taoist (道家) text Zhuangzi. In the ancient times of Chinese myths and legends, “Hongmeng” was used to describe the original state of the universe before matter existed.
For HarmonyOS, “Hongmeng” indicates the developers’ aim to make an innovative operating system, unlike any other. Besides “Hongmeng”, Huawei has also registered many of its products under the names of legendary creatures from Chinese mythology, such as “Qilin”for the Kin mobile chip, and “Kunpeng” for the server chip. Many Chinese internet users and media have praised Huawei’s use of these names, “as they stand for Chinese wisdom and ancient people’s imagination and spirit of exploration”, Global Times noted.
In fact, Huawei is not alone in using traditional culture for modern ventures. Ne Zha, the new film, also portrays traditional culture in a modern context. Earlier this month it became the biggest animated movie in China and was called “the glorious light of domestic anime”. The movie is loosely based on the well-known work of classical Chinese mythology The Investiture of the Gods. Unlike his attractive heroic character in previous cinematic works, Ne Zha is shown as a rebellious underdog, who has to overcome hardship and his dark fate to become a hero. Many young Chinese people can relate to Ne Zha, who encourages them to become dream-chasers and fate-changers. As Global Times put it, today by revisiting and incorporating a modern context, “ancient mythology has the power to stir up contemporary imagination in young people”. After all, imagination is the beginning of creation.
1.Why did Huawei name the new system “Hongmeng” in Chinese?
A.Huawei was interested in describing the original state of the universe.
B.Huawei targeted at designing a unique operating system in the world.
C.Huawei aimed to develop classical culture.
D.Huawei was fond of Chinese myths and legends.
2.What was Global Times’ tone about Huawei’s use of the names from ancient cultures?
A.Admirable. B.Indifferent.
C.Neutral. D.Critical.
3.Which statement about the new movie Ne Zha is NOT true?
A.Not all the plot is based on the popular Chinese mythology.
B.The new film Ne Zha means a lot to domestic anime in China.
C.The character of Ne Zha is a failure at first in previous works.
D.The film Ne Zha encourages many youth to achieve dreams.
4.What’s the passage mainly about?
A.Huawei’s new names for its products and their influence.
B.A brief introduction of a new successful movie Ne Zha.
C.Imagination is important and the beginning of creation.
D.Ancient cultures come into new life and inspire imagination.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
HOT on the heels of equality
1. They lengthen the legs but shorten the steps; they give the wearer a sense of power but can also be painful to wear; they are worn by working women, but their visual appeal has nothing to do with work.
In Japan, a new social media campaign highlights the issues many women have with this footwear. 2.In May, thousands of women signed an online petition(请愿书)demanding that the government ban the practice.
“3.” said the movement founder Yuni Ishikawa, 32 yeas old, in an interview with the Associated Press. “It’s the view that appearances are more important for women at work than for men.”
As early as January, Ishikawa shared her frustration about the unfairness of this dress code on the Instagram social network. In her part-time job as a funeral usher(迎宾员), she was required to wear black heels between 5 and 7cm high.4.. “High heels can cause bunions, blisters and strain the lower back. It’s hard to move, you can’t run and your feet hurt,” Ishikawa wrote in the petition, “5.“
It’s a modest dream. Not too long ago, Japanese businessmen were expected to wear neckties, even on hot days. Then, the government encouraged companies to use less air conditioning and reduce electricity use. Men were freed from neckties. “This petition is the first step toward ‘creating a working environment free from unnecessary burdens’.” Ishikawa said.
A.It’s unreasonable.
B.This is about gender discrimination.
C.She would come home with bleeding toes.
D.I hope there will come a day when women don’t have to wear heels in the workplace.
E.High-heeled shoes are loaded with contradictions.
F.They are upset that many companies require women to wear high heels to work.
G.It would be great if the country had a similar kind of campaign about neckties.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
I'm sweating heavily in my chair. Mr. Fogarty slowly looks over the rows of boys, each holding his breath and ____it's not his turn. Mr. Fogarty's eyes pass over them and they can______again. His eyes land on me and my heart jumps.
This is the______I go through every Tuesday during jazz practice. I'm fine during practice______it's time for each of us to stand and play our instrument, alone, with everyone watching. I always pray for Mr. Fogarty to______me, but he never does.______, he calls me out in front of everyone, every time.
Mr. Fogarty mouths, "You're______"
My stand partner smiles. He knows how much I______this moment each week and in some way it gives him_____ to see me sweat.
I pray that the kid before me has a(n) _____solo, or maybe an earthquake will interrupt us. But then the boy before me finishes his solo. My heart beats so hard I can______breathe as I stand up.
I start to breathe out the first notes. I hold them as long as I can and then I look at the music, hoping to______the safe pattern of musical notes that tell me what to do. But no, I have to trust myself.
____the notes on the page start jumping at me, each coming so fast I'm not______which to play first. So I play them all. My thoughts are no longer words, but musical______,and they're moving so fast I don't have time to____ what to play next. I just let my hands go. I’m so caught up in my solo that I don't______how long I've been playing.
Mr. Fogarty gives me a signal and, abruptly(突然地)I______, and free my hands from the saxophone which is still warm from my______fingers.
I sit so hard that the chair makes a noise. I ignore my stand partner's______and look up at my band teacher's approving smile.
1.A.explaining B.praying C.realizing D.imagining
2.A.talk B.play C.practice D.breathe
3.A.project B.business C.routine D.exam
4.A.until B.when C.though D.because
5.A.remember B.forget C.help D.guide
6.A.Instead B.However C.Therefore D.Meanwhile
7.A.alone B.late C.lost D.next
8.A.expect B.hate C.fear D.enjoy
9.A.burden B.pleasure C.relief D.benefit
10.A.unsuccessful B.wonderful C.cheerful D.never-ending
11.A.nearly B.merely C.barely D.slightly
12.A.follow B.form C.practice D.show
13.A.Gradually B.Suddenly C.Actually D.Naturally
14.A.afraid B.anxious C.confused D.sure
15.A.notes B.stars C.instruments D.patterns
16.A.refer to B.think about C.pick out D.watch out
17.A.understand B.mind C.notice D.discover
18.A.stop B.sing C.dance D.fall
19.A.unskilled B.strong C.dancing D.helpless
20.A.apology B.question C.invitation D.praise
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Can you tell the time on an analog clock? 1. (hope), you can! It’s the only way for you to know the time when 2. (take) exams.
However, some high schools in the UK will remove analog clocks 3. exam halls and use digital.4. instead. The reason is that 5. (teenage) are unable to read the correct time on analog clocks. They are used to seeing the time on the phone, 6. on the computer. Nearly everything they’ve got is digital.
Teachers want their students to feel as 7. (relax) as possible during exams. However, having a 8.(tradition) clock in the room could make students feel stressed out during an exam Many of them might raise their hands to ask 9. time it is.
The schools are trying to make everything as easy and straightforward as possible for students during the exams. Another advantage of using digital clocks 10. (be) that students are less likely to get the time wrong.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假如你是李华，最近你的美国笔友Robert来慈溪体验中国传统文化。你想邀请他一起去鸣鹤古镇尝一尝当地的特色手工年糕（New Year cake）。请根据以下内容要点写一封邀请信。
1. 活动时间、地点；
2. 鸣鹤年糕的特点；
3. 表达你的期望。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Robert,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
A young man had bought an old house that was in bad shape, but he and his wife believed they could restore it. They immediately went to work. Their goal was to have the old building look best for New Year’s Eve get-together.
Just two days before New Year, however, a storm swept through the area, leaving a hole in the wall of the house. There was obviously no time to repair the damage before New Year. Then, the sad couple attended a local auction(拍卖)that afternoon. One of the items put up for bids was an old gold-and-ivory-colored tablecloth. Seized by an inspiration, the young man was the highest bidder at $ 6.50. His idea was to hang the cloth to cover the ragged hole.
On the day before New Year, it was snowy. As the young man unlocked the house door, he noticed an old woman standing at the bus stop. He knew the bus wouldn’t be there within at least half an hour, so he invited her inside to keep warm.
When the woman walked in and saw the tablecloth, she rushed at it and said excitedly, “It’s mine. It is my tablecloth.” She told the surprised man its history and even showed him her name in one comer of the tablecloth. She and her husband had once lived in Vienna, Austria, and their village was hit by a deadly disease. So they decided to flee to Switzerland, but her husband told her to leave first, saying he had something urgent to deal with. A few days later, it was reported that the bus her husband took fell off the cliff(悬崖)and he was never to be found. Her husband was believed to have died. Touched by her story, the young couple asked about her address, planning to send the tablecloth to her after New Year. As the bus came, she left.
In the candlelight of New Year’s Eve, the tablecloth looked even more beautiful. As the man’s friends left the house, they thanked the man for his arrangement and mentioned how beautiful the house looked.
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150词左右；
2. 至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1：
Otte old gentleman stayed, admiring the tablecloth.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2：
The young man drove the old man to that old woman’s home.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
难度: 中等查看答案及解析