The Spread of CatsToday's house cats all come from a single type of wildcat. Researchers believe that it was originally from the Near East, in a region from modern - day Turkiye down to Lebanon. Around 10,000 years ago, farmers began storing grain. The grain attracted mice. Cats could help out with that.The same type of cats also ruled in Ancient Egypt. They left their traces in statues and paintings. Researchers wondered how these two separate lines led to today's worldwide success of cats. Unlike other archaeologists (考古学家), Eva - Maria Geigl studied DNA instead of bones.Combining the genetic information with other records, the researchers figured out the cats' paths. After cats befriended (亲近) the Near East farmers, they began to appear on farms in other places. One example is a 9,500 - year - old cat buried in a human grave on the island of Cyprus. There were no wild cats on the island. They must have come from somewhere else. Humans must have brought them on a boat.A second wave of cats began living with humans in Egypt 2,500 years ago. The new study shows that during Roman times, these Egyptian cats also began expanding through the Mediterranean (地中海). They mixed with the Near East cats and then went farther. They went through Europe and into Southwest Asia.When the Viking age began, the expansion of Egyptian cat families exploded. It was likely due to the popularity of using ship cats to kill rats. "Rats on ships not only eat and spoil the food, they also destroy the ropes, so rats could be a disaster for sailors," says Geigl. "Cats prevent these types of disasters."The cats in Southwest Asia were originally from

The Spread of CatsToday's house cats all come from a single type of wildcat. Researchers believe that it was originally from the Near East, in a region from modern - day Turkiye down to Lebanon. Around 10,000 years ago, farmers began storing grain. The grain attracted mice. Cats could help out with that.The same type of cats also ruled in Ancient Egypt. They left their traces in statues and paintings. Researchers wondered how these two separate lines led to today's worldwide success of cats. Unlike other archaeologists (考古学家), Eva - Maria Geigl studied DNA instead of bones.Combining the genetic information with other records, the researchers figured out the cats' paths. After cats befriended (亲近) the Near East farmers, they began to appear on farms in other places. One example is a 9,500 - year - old cat buried in a human grave on the island of Cyprus. There were no wild cats on the island. They must have come from somewhere else. Humans must have brought them on a boat.A second wave of cats began living with humans in Egypt 2,500 years ago. The new study shows that during Roman times, these Egyptian cats also began expanding through the Mediterranean (地中海). They mixed with the Near East cats and then went farther. They went through Europe and into Southwest Asia.When the Viking age began, the expansion of Egyptian cat families exploded. It was likely due to the popularity of using ship cats to kill rats. "Rats on ships not only eat and spoil the food, they also destroy the ropes, so rats could be a disaster for sailors," says Geigl. "Cats prevent these types of disasters."Who contributed most to the spread of cats during the Viking age?

阅读下面短文，请完成短文后的2项测试任务：从第16-20题后所给的6个选项中为第①-⑤段每段选择1个正确的小标题。The Pony (小马) Express① In 1848, gold was found in California. Thousands of people rushed there. But the train line to California wasn't finished until 1869. It took a long time to ride a horse from California to Missouri. What would you do if you wanted to send a message? Well, you could use the Pony Express.② In 1860 and 1861, the Pony Express was the fastest way to get news to and from the West. The road was around 2,000 miles long. It took most people weeks or months to ride that far. The Pony Express could make it in just 10 days. Those speeds were unheard of then. How did they do it? Well, they had a good system.③ The Pony Express had 184 stations along the road. The stations were about 10 miles apart. This is about how far a horse could run before tired. The rider would switch to a new horse at each station. Every 75 - 100 miles, the rider would get to a home station, where riders would rest. Before resting, he would give his mail bag to a new rider. The mail never stopped moving, while the horses and riders rested.④ It was tough to ride for the Pony Express. Each rider had to weigh less than 125 pounds. Speed was the key. Most riders were teenage boys. They rode up to 100 miles a day. The ride could be dangerous. Attacks by local people were common. But in its running time, the Pony Express lost only one mail bag. ⑤ The Pony Express filled an important role for a time, but it did not last. The Civil War started in 1861. Things got worse when the first telegraph line to California was finished later that year. People could send messages by telegraph instantly. Soon the Pony Express closed. But the story of the brave riders lives on. Task 116. Paragraph ①:____17. Paragraph ②:____18. Paragraph ③:____ 19. Paragraph ④:____ 20. Paragraph ⑤:____ A. The end of riders’ businessB. The fastest message serviceC. The comfortable home stationD. The effective system to send mailE. Safe delivery despite the tough rideF. Need of message exchange in the gold rush

阅读下面短文，请完成短文后的2项测试任务：从第21-25题后所给的6个选项中选择5个正确选项，分别完成每个句子。在答题卡相应位置上将答案选项涂黑。The Pony (小马) Express① In 1848, gold was found in California. Thousands of people rushed there. But the train line to California wasn't finished until 1869. It took a long time to ride a horse from California to Missouri. What would you do if you wanted to send a message? Well, you could use the Pony Express.② In 1860 and 1861, the Pony Express was the fastest way to get news to and from the West. The road was around 2,000 miles long. It took most people weeks or months to ride that far. The Pony Express could make it in just 10 days. Those speeds were unheard of then. How did they do it? Well, they had a good system.③ The Pony Express had 184 stations along the road. The stations were about 10 miles apart. This is about how far a horse could run before tired. The rider would switch to a new horse at each station. Every 75 - 100 miles, the rider would get to a home station, where riders would rest. Before resting, he would give his mail bag to a new rider. The mail never stopped moving, while the horses and riders rested.④ It was tough to ride for the Pony Express. Each rider had to weigh less than 125 pounds. Speed was the key. Most riders were teenage boys. They rode up to 100 miles a day. The ride could be dangerous. Attacks by local people were common. But in its running time, the Pony Express lost only one mail bag. ⑤ The Pony Express filled an important role for a time, but it did not last. The Civil War started in 1861. Things got worse when the first telegraph line to California was finished later that year. People could send messages by telegraph instantly. Soon the Pony Express closed. But the story of the brave riders lives on. Task 221. People rushed to California ________.22. To ride 2,000 miles took the Pony Express ________.23. There were adequate stations to ________.24. Most riders had to ________.25. The telegraph appeared ________.A. only ten daysB. for a better lifeC. a couple of monthsD. be young and braveE. switch horses and ridersF. after the outbreak of the Civil War

Work is a BlessingI grew up in Lakeland, LA, one of 12 children. We all lived on my parents' farm. We grew cotton, corn and had a large garden, but it didn't bring in much cash. 26_____ We milked 65 cows at 5 in the morning and again at 2 in the afternoon, seven days a week.One Saturday before daylight, I remember complaining to my father and grandfather about having to milk those cows. My father said, "You know, boy, to work is a blessing." 27_____ However, it took many years before it sank in.Going to college was a rare privilege for a kid from Lakeland. 28_____ So I joined the ROTC program to help pay for college. And what started out as an obligation to the Army became a way of life that I stayed committed to for 37 years, three months and three days.In the late 1980s, during a visit to Bangladesh, I saw a woman with a baby on her back, breaking bricks with a hammer. I asked a Bangladeshi military officer why they weren't using a machine, which would have been a lot easier. 29_____ Breaking those bricks meant she could earn enough money to feed herself and her baby that day. And as bad as that woman's job was, it was enough to keep a small family alive. 30_____. A. I don't think I will ever quit workingB. However, I still wanted to go to college.C. He told me a machine would put that lady out of work.D. I had a feeling I had been told something really important.E. It reminded me of my father's words: To work is a blessing.F. So when I was 12, I got a part - time job helping to milk cows.

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence (人工智能) on JobsAs you grew up, there's a good chance you heard the saying "go to a good school, get a good job, and make lots of money." On the surface, that seems like 31______ advice. After all, college graduates, on 32______, earn almost $1 million more in their lifetime than those with 33______ a high school education.Perhaps you were encouraged to earn a professional degree to 34______ a high - paying job like a doctor, dentist, lawyer or something 35______. This also seems like great advice. A professional degree holder 36______ earns more than $2 million more in their lifetime than the average college graduate. But that was then, not now.Thanks to rapid 37______ in artificial intelligence, jobs are falling to machines. And it's not just blue - collar jobs that are being taken 38______ by automation (自动化). It's white - collar professions as well.The safe, high paying jobs of the past are starting to look much less secure. If you're currently in one of the professions of finance, 39______ or law, or going to school to get into these fields, you should 40______ twice before continuing.A. get B. called C. similar D. think E. medicine F. overG. averageH. valuableI. only J. useK. usuallyL. development

下面的短文有10处空白，每处空白后的括号内有一个词，请根据短文内容将其正确的形式填入文中，以恢复文章原貌，并将答案写在答题卡相应的位置上。 Dutch King's Secret LifeNext time you fly, the pilot might (may)be a king. Dutch King Willem - Alexander has 41____ (secret)been flying planes twice a month for twenty - one 42____ (year). His passengers were 43____ (aware)of this. The 50 - year - old king 44____ (get)his military pilot's license with the Dutch Air Force in his twenties. He loved flying and 45____ (become)a commercial pilot. The king is now 46____ (train)to fly Boeing 737 because he wants to upgrade his skills.The king said flying could relieve his pressure. He explained: "You can't take your problems from the ground into the skies. You can leave them aside 47____ (complete) and concentrate on something else. That is the most 48____ (relax)part of flying." He said it was easy to keep his secret. Few people 49____ (know)he was their pilot. He always welcomed passengers on behalf of the captain and the crew. So far he has never 50____ (tell) passengers his name.

短文写作请根据所提供材料中的要求完成一篇100词左右的英文写作任务。某英文报社正在举办题为“No Smoking in Public Places”的征文活动。请你根据下述写作要点提交一篇英文短文应征。公共场所吸烟有什么危害你能为公共场所禁烟做些什么