There’s nothing better than a walk in the countryside for lifting our spirits. Connecting with nature can help our mental health. For many people, it feels great to take a walk through a forest, but as we admire the trees around us, it’s worth knowing these trees are doing more than just being nice things to look at.
We have already noticed that trees play an important role in taking care of our world—they produce oxygen and clean the air we breathe by taking in about a quarter of all human-caused carbon dioxide emissions(二氧化碳排放).
But there’s more to these trees than we might think. Researchers have discovered that they are actually very smart.
It’s thought that trees use a fungal network(真菌网络)to talk and share resources right under our feet. Under the ground are tree roots, bacteria(细菌)and super fine threads of fungi(菌丝). And research has shown that they are all mixed together. They can help each other by sharing “food”, and they can even tell them some coming dangers. Scientists say it’s like the trees are talking to one another.
Ecologist(生态学家)Suzanne Simard has called this network the Wood Wide Web. She discovered that parent trees use this network to help their children. She also found that trees are smart enough to change their behaviour to live in a changing environment.
So it seems trees really are the stars of our natural world, and with around three trillion of them on our planet, it’s time to show them some respect if we want them to grow better.
【小题1】The trees can take in about ________ carbon dioxide emissions caused by human.A.10% | B.25% | C.50% | D.75% |
A.human-caused emissions | B.underground tree roots |
C.some coming dangers | D.a fungal network |
A.An ecologist usually gives speeches for children. | B.An ecologist does something to cheer us up. |
C.An ecologist helps people with mental problems. | D.An ecologist does some research about plants. |
A.Animal World | B.Amazing Plants | C.Business Information | D.Sports Stars |
A.Trees are actually very smart to live on the earth. |
B.Trees provide resources for people in the world. |
C.Connecting with nature can help our mental health. |
D.Trees are in danger because of a changing environment. |
We live in a society that is producing and using electronics(电子产品) all the time. It is often cheaper to buy new products than to repair old ones. Also, through clever advertising, companies always encourage people to change their old TVs, mobile phones and computers for the latest models. E-waste is created when we throw away old ones. In the EU alone, about 8,700,000 tons of e-waste is produced each year. Sadly, just over 1,000,000 tons is recycled.
Burying(填埋) e-waste or burning it cause serious problems for the environment. Electronics have dangerous things in them. These things can then get into the ground or pollute the air when they are burnt.
In recent years, ____. However, their plans are not always managed properly. Sometimes electronics are just sent to poor countries such as Ghana. Here they are often burnt in public areas, which is very bad for people’s health. Setting up recycling centers is a good way to solve this problem. E-cycling centers could recycle the parts that can be reused and deal with the rest properly.
Another way is to make producers responsible(负责任) for their used products. This means that producers must take back old products which are no longer wanted. They should then make sure they are properly recycled or reused.
As for us, we should try to cut down on e-waste. Change electronics only when we have to. And don’t buy a product just to have the latest model.
E-waste is a serious problem in the modern world. Both producers and users must take actions and try to keep it to the smallest amount.
【小题1】According to the passage, it is often _______ to buy new electronics than to repair old ones.
A.more expensive | B.more difficult |
C.cheaper | D.worse |
A.the old products | B.the producers |
C.the users | D.the new products |
A.the e-waste problem has been solved |
B.the e-waste problem continues growing |
C.many countries have started recycling e-waste |
D.people haven’t realized the e-waste problem yet |
A.Burning e-waste causes problems for the environment. |
B.E-waste problem is very serious and people should take actions. |
C.Sometimes electronics are sent to poor countries such as Ghana. |
D.In the EU alone, about 8,700,000 tons of e-waste is produced each year. |
![](https://img.xkw.com/dksih/QBM/2021/10/25/2837092055293952/2843522892201984/STEM/c6c331d89609429e9ae22acf0fa88d88.png?resizew=149)
Do you think laughter can help you deal with pain? Scientists from Britain did two experiments (实验). The first was done in a lab. People wore special wristbands (腕带). Some of them were asked to watch comedies while others watched serious programs. Then the scientists tightened (勒紧) the wristbands to see how much pain the people could feel.
The other test was done at an art festival. Some people watched a comedy show and others watched a drama. At the same time, they had to put their backs against the wall and keep their legs bent (弯曲的) just like sitting on a chair. They did this before and after the show.
Scientists found that just 15 minutes of laughter improves people’s ability to stand pain by 10%. However, the serious programs and the drama didn’t make a difference to pain at all.
The study found that the magic power of laughter comes from endorphins (内啡肽). These are chemicals (化学物质). They are produced by the human body. They make you feel less pain and can make people feel happier. Exercise can produce endorphins. Your muscles (肌肉) move in and out when you are laughing. Scientists believe that this makes you muscles tired, so we start to produce endorphins. Scientists also found that the only real and relaxing laughter works, not just polite laughter.
Next time you have a headache, get together with a group of friends, watch a funny movie and laugh. You will soon feel a lot better because laughter is the best medicine.
【小题1】Scientists knew how much pain the people felt by ________ in the first experiment.A.eating delicious dishes | B.putting backs against walls |
C.tightening special wristbands | D.sitting on comfortable seats |
A.scientists made people laugh to stand pain |
B.some people liked to laugh |
C.polite laughter worked on pain as well as real and relaxing laughter |
D.laughter made the muscles of the body to move to reduce pain |
A.keep better build | B.feel less pain | C.get more muscles | D.produce worse results |
A.running can produce endorphins | B.watching TV programs can stand pain |
C.different kinds of laughter can treat illness | D.muscles can improve people’s ability to laugh |
A.guide book | B.movie poster | C.travel diary | D.medical magazine |
![](https://img.xkw.com/dksih/QBM/2022/12/3/3122885705629696/3140508117901312/STEM/304ad5fe7e344de7b2aa0506c212953a.png?resizew=478)
The metaverse (元宇宙) has been a hot topic of conversation recently. The word “Metaverse” comes from a science fiction novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson in 1992. It refers to a 3D virtual reality (虚拟世界). In this world, we have digital versions of ourselves which are called avatars. The best way to visit the metaverse is through VR headsets.
Visiting the metaverse is like playing a game World of Warcraft (魔兽世界), where we can choose our own avatars. In the metaverse we can do almost everything such as getting together with friends, learning and playing. The value to our lives could be big.
In the metaverse learning process becomes much easier and more interesting. Wearing a VR headset is different from watching a movie. The difference is what scientists call “embodied cognition.” That is, we learn by doing instead of watching, reading or listening. For a lot of the most important learning events in our lives, we actually do something—we walk somewhere or feel something. Similarly, in the metaverse we learn by having such an experience.
James is a professional basketball player in America. He is on a two-week training program in the metaverse. Every day after he wakes up, he puts on his VR headset to go over his plays and practice in the metaverse. It’s like he’s actually on the sports field. But he is just in his living room, getting practice. “In this way, I improve my basketball skills faster.” says James.
Can you imagine how metaverse technologies help people deal with environmental problems in our real world? One example is a scientific test on the island of Ischia, in Italy. Carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) is destroying its ocean plants and animals. In the real world, we can’t bring people all over the world to Ischia to show how worse the situation is. To solve this problem, we produce a seven-minute Ischia journey in the metaverse. Now with VR headsets on, we bring Ischia to people. People see for themselves, study on environmental changes and learn to predict what all the oceans on the earth will be like in the future.
Maria is a volunteer to experience the metaverse. After spending 24 hours “living” in the metaverse, she felt very tired. Her eyes and head hurt a lot the moment she took off the VR headset. For her, such a “virtual” experience is less meaningful than a “real” one.
In fact, the metaverse is a tool, like any other media (媒介) such as Wechat, TikTok and Bilibili. It will surely make a difference to how we receive information, which is a big jump in the history of media. ________. Wherever we are, in the real world or in the metaverse, we will continue to be the same humans. To be or not to be, that’s not a question for the metaverse. It’s already on the way.
【小题1】________ is an example of embodied cognition.A.Doing English homework | B.Reading the novel Snow Crash |
C.Watching a movie Kung Fu Panda | D.Listening to Abing’s Erquan Yingyue |
A.provide a new way of saving people near Ischia |
B.picture how the ocean environment looked in the past |
C.show how oceans are being destroyed by carbon dioxide |
D.explain how pollution from Ischia is destroying other areas |
A.Other media will still be important |
B.But many people in the world will not like it |
C.It will take several years to change people’s lives |
D.But this huge change will not change who we are |
A.![]() | B.![]() |
C.![]() | D.![]() |
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