英语中高考热点话题文章阅读 1.docx

1、英语中高考热点话题文章阅读 1Is paper money going away纸币已经过时了吗(词数450) Within a few months, were going to have a new set of banknotes(纸币). The People s Bank of China(PBOC), the central bank, has upgraded the fifth edition of the renminbi(RMB)and will issue them from Aug 30. These bills will have brighter colors an

2、d new security features(防伪特征), which will make printing fake(假的) money even harder. Weve been using banknotes for around 1,000years. Back in the Northern Song Dynasty, Chinese people made the worlds earliest paper money to replace metal coins(金属硬币). These bank notes were called jiaozi. Obviously pap

3、er money is cheaper to make and easier to carry -these advantages made it more popular than other forms of money. But now, in the digital(数码的)age, paper money seems to be disappearing for the same reason-whats more convenient(方便的) than not having to carry any money at allChina seems to be heading to

4、ward becoming a cashless society. From supermarkets to street stalls(小摊), people pay by using the WeChat Wallet and Alipay apps on their mobile phones. Sweden is even closer to a future without paper money. Many Swedish banks no longer even have cash on hand. But there are worries about creating cas

5、hless. Some say it is unfair to the poor and people without much education. Its not easy for them to open bank accounts(账户) or deal with mobile phones. And if all of your money is digital you may lose your money if your accounts are hacked(黑客攻击)Although paper money is in a losing battle with electro

6、nic payment in some countries, its still a big thing in most parts of the world. It may take a little longer than you think to see it go away.Listen to your books耳朵“阅读”时代来了（词数260，7分钟）With the development of technology and the internet, there is a new trend in reading audio books. More people are cho

7、osing to listen to audio books these days, according to this years national reading report. The report was released by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication(CAPP).It shows that audio books have become quite popular among most readers. One in three adult listen to audio books. They mainly use

8、popular audio sharing platf0mmS(平台) like Ximalaya. Kids have also been a main driver in the development of audio books. Ximalaya noted that the value of audio book purchases made by those aged 13 to 18 in 2018 increased by 330 percent over that of 2017, the Beijing Evening News reported. In addition

9、, around percent of children under 8 years old listen to audio books. Most of them listen at least once a week .Their favorite categories(分类)are “stories for kids” and poetry reading” One of the reasons audio books have taken off is that people want to get more use out of their free time. China News

10、 Service reported. Whether theyre at the gym, on a bus, or in bed, people can enjoy reading without a heavy paper book ore-reader. Faster internet speeds mean one can download a whole book in just seconds, according to Wei Yushan, director of CAPP. Audio app content designers have invited broadcaste

11、rs(播音员) and production(制作) groups to join in content production. Both the quality and number of audio books being offered have greatly improved. More people can find the audio books they like the most, the report says.Follow the subway rules在地铁上吃喝将影响个人信用（词数270,7分钟）Traveling by subway can sometimes b

12、e quite an adventure, especially during rush hour. You have to fight your way into the carriage(车厢)And there are the times when you have to avoid cups of coffee that could spill on you. The smells some passengers food are very strong, too.Since April, the local government of Beijing has been collect

13、ing public opinions on the revised(修订的) Beijing Metro Passenger Rules The rules say that if passengers behave in an uncivilized(不文明的) manner while on the subway, they will end up with bad credit(信用)scores or even being banned(禁止) from the subway, Beijing Youth Daily reported. Four kinds of behaviors

14、 were added to the revised rules. They include stealing others seats eating or drinking, riding without paying the fare(车票) and handing out advertisements. Whats worth mentioning is that people have different opinions regarding eating and drinking on the subway, Guangming Daily reported. The rules s

15、tate that all passengers except babies and people with certain health issues are not allowed to eat or drink on the subway. People have pointed out that the smell of food and drink can annoy other passengers. However, others question this rule, saying that drinking water should be allowed, as people

16、 can get thirsty after long rides on the crowded subway. o They also think it is too harsh(严厉的)to lower some ones social credit score Just for eating or drinking.What problems will it cause if I just quietly eat some food that doesnt have any smell and old on to the packaging(包装) when Im done”ha use

17、r named DONGCHENY wrote on Sina Weibo.Hippos move silicon河马自然界硅元素的搬运工（词数280，7分钟）Hippos look a little bit silly, dont you think They have huge bodies, but small eyes and ears. This contrast(对比) always makes hippos look funny and cute. As it turns out, they play an important role in Africa s ecosystem

18、(生态系统) as well. Hippos have been keeping silicon, a nutrient for plants and animals, on the move throughout East Africa, Science News reported. Each day, a hippo eats about 36 kg of plants. Most of these plants are rich in silicon. The silicon cycles through their body and finally comes out in their

19、 poop. Their poop brings tons of silicon into the Mara River, where hippos often poop, according to scientists from the University of Antwerp in Belgium. Thats about 76 percent of the rivers entire downstream silica(硅石)flow. Silicon is mostly found in sand. Its role in nature is important. The eleme

20、nt feeds the growth of a plant called the diatom(硅藻),which lives in oceans. fresh water and other wet environments. Together, these plants take in carbon dioxide(二氧化碳) from the air and change it into oxygen(氧气. It is estimated that diatoms make at least 20 percent of the oxygen on Earth, according t

21、o Live Science.Diatoms also form the base of the food chain. They are eaten by small animals like crabs and snails, which in turn feed bigger animals like otters(水獭), turtles, and even humans Without diatoms, many ecosystems would face a food shortage. But hippos are threatened(受到威胁)by hunting and h

22、abitat(栖息地)loss. Their population decreased by up to 20 percent from 1996 to 2004, Science News reported. If these animals disappear from the Mara River, the diatom population could decrease remarkably. Did you know Silicon is the second-most abundant丰富的) element on Earth. Only oxygen beats it. It m

23、akes up slightly more than27 percent of the Earths crust(地壳)nature, silicon usually exists as either an oxide (氧化物) like sand or a silicate (硅酸盐)Lightingup black holes黑洞:探索一小步,人类一大步。（词数321,6分钟）There are moments in our lives when were just left in awe(敬畏地) For me, these moments include when I found o

24、ut that Jupiter is times bigger than Earth, and that Qomolangma, Earths highest mountain if thrown into the ocean upside down-wouldnt be large enough to fill the Mariana trench(马里亚纳海沟), the deepest place on Earth. But none of these moments compares to this one: when scientists revealed(公布)the first-

25、ever picture of a black hole on April 10What you see in the picture might be merely an orange ring a blurry(模糊的) bit of orange ring even but it is in fact a black hole and is 55 million light-years from Earth. And its bigger than any thing we know of: The sun doesnt even begin to compare with it, si

26、nce its mass(质量) billion times that of our star. It got me wondering: How many more black holes are there What lies another 100million, or 1,000 million, light-years away And what does the size of the universe mean to us tiny beings on a tiny planet But dont get me wrong. The news isnt supposed to b

27、e discouraging at all: After all, it is in contrast(对比) to the size of the universe that human beings can see how much theyve achieved Just think about it: We refresh-and-blood creatures, and yet we managed to extend(延伸)our sight by building telescopes hat“see” millions of light years away. These te

28、lescopes are located in eight places around the world. and scientists from 20countries worked together for two years to process all the data before finally bringing the image to us. Its true that we tend to feel awe in the face of forces that are much bigger than perhaps we should hold ourselves in

29、awe as well, for all that we tiny human beings have learned about the universe. Japan is working hard to improve its English signs.日本致力于纠正“日式英语”,迎接东京Youve probably seen some pretty interesting English translations. For example, it is common to see “Chinglish” on restaurant menus and on signs in publ

30、ic areas in is now working to improve its English signs so that tourists will have an easier time getting around during the 2020 Olympics.Improving public transportation signs is especially important, as tourists will take trains and buses to get around. The Japan Tourism Agency recently carried out

31、 a two-month investigation (at) into the websites of 85 train and bus companies around the country According to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. The agency found some rather odd(古怪的)translations. For example, one transportation company refers to children as“dwarfs(侏儒). Other translation errors inc

32、lude Forgotten Center” for lost and found”, and “release place” for “ticket machine”. But does Japan have enough time to correct its English One expert thinks its too Haley, a professor at Niigata University, thinks it cant be done. He pointed out that many companies simply wont be able to afford to hire translators and reprint the materials. In addition, the people who originally translated the materials probably wont want to lose face by admitting to translating them incorrectly, he added. Whether it can fix its signs or not, Japan is bracing for(为做准备) a wave of to