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In a world facing increasing conflict and instability, a Chinese Canadian is sending messages of love and peace through his artwork.
William Ho, 60, who arrived in Canada from Hong Kong 42 years ago, teaches Chinese brush-painting near Toronto. The United Nations invited Ho to exhibit his art and his masterpiece at its headquarters in New York in 2006, and he then became a UN global partner. Ho has been doing Chinese art and Chinese brush-painting for more than 50 years and teaching for over 30. He has more than 3, 000 students from around the world.
“I actually started in Western art when I was younger, working in pencil drawing, oil painting, water color, etc. However, after I met Chinese brush-painting a couple of years later, my eyes and mind were enlightened,”Ho recalled. Chinese and Western artists should respect, appreciate and learn from each other. Ho said one of his missions (使命) is to bring Chinese culture“back to”the centre stage of the world, as it had been for thousands of years.
So one of the themes in Ho' s speeches delivered at UN Headquarters was“position well China, and position well the world". Ho said that some countries demand special treatment from the world or the international court in the name of democracy (民主) and freedom.“This mentality is sick, selfish and bad. The people of the world and Mother Nature are saying no to the greedy. In fact, the whole world cannot afford these types of demands. We as a global family wouldn' t allow this to happen."Ho said. Contrary to greed, Chinese culture believes that“less is more'”.
“Chinese culture has been enlightening the world through our art, literature, philosophy, medicine, technologies in astronomy, navigation and four great inventions,”Ho said.
1.What did Ho wish to do when he learned Chinese art?
A.To be UN's partner easier and earlier.
B.To make his artwork more enthusiastic.
C.To regain its leading position in the world.
D.To combine Chinese and Western culture in art.
2.What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us?
A.Democracy and freedom.
B.Some country 's special demand.
C.A famous Chinese proverb.
D.Ho's opinion about cultural exchanges.
3.What does Ho think of artwork according to the passage?
A.A tool for glory and money.
B.The carrier of culture.
C.A way to the world center.
D.A stage for artists.
4.What's the best title for the passage?
A.An Artist Whose Heart Beats for World
B.A Chinese Painting Lover
C.A Pioneer Who Promotes Chinese Culture
D.A Famous UN Global Partner
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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One of the most critical roles forests play is relieving climate change. Trees suck enormous amounts of carbon dioxide out of the air and fix the carbon in their wood and the soil. A recent study found that planting new trees over an area the size of the US could suck away two thirds of all the carbon dioxide discharge that humans have pumped into the atmosphere.
“Without animals, it is harder for forests to absorb carbon, as tree species (种类) important for protecting the climate could be lost without animals", Susanne Winter, a program director said at the WWF.
In Africa, many of the tree species that absorb the most carbon rely on large birds and primates (灵长类动物) to eat their fruits and spread their large seeds, according to the report. Without them, those trees would have difficulty reproducing and forests would lose their best carbon-storing trees.
“Forests are our greatest natural ally in the fight against global warming, ”Winter said.“If we want to hold back the worldwide decline in biodiversity and prevent the climate crisis,s we need to protect the forests and the species living there.
Forests also filter (过滤) water-- as water makes its way to lakes or groundwater reserves, the roots and soil separate it from deposits and pollution that it collects along the way. What' s more, forests regulate the global water cycle, since trees' leaves, branches, and roots store or send out water vapor.
Climate models show that forest-cutting down in Central Africa could lead to a 15% drop in rainfall in the US Midwest, and Amazon deforestation (森林滥伐) could cut Texas rainfall by 25%.
Humans also get food, wood, and medicine from the abundance of plants and animals in forests. Worldwide, 1.6 billion people rely on forests for their livings, according to the United Nations. About 300 million people live in forests, according to WWF.
1.What's the purpose of Paragraph 3?
A.To tell where the large seeds go.
B.To show the tree species in Africa.
C.To draw reader' s attention to Africa.
D.To support Susanne Winter’s opinion.
2.What does the underlined word“ally" in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A.Winner.
B.Competitor.
C.Partner.
D.Victim.
3.How do forests change climate according to the passage?
A.By affecting air and water.
B.By feeding birds and animals.
C.By providing life necessities.
D.By increasing the variety of trees.
4.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Water should be filtered.
B.The more forests, the more rain.
C.Forests should be globally protected.
D.Half the carbon dioxide is sucked away by trees.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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If our bodies actually suffer from eating too much sugar, then why do we like it? And why don 't we have such a strong eager for food like, say, broccoli (西兰花)，which is a great source of Vitamin C,Vitamin K iron, all things our body actually needs? If it's so bad for us, then why does sugar taste so good? There are hundreds of journal articles trying to answer that very question. Let' s take a look at what they' ve come up with.
Studies have shown that the love children have for sugar may be born with. In other words, kids may have a built-in love of all things sweet. The preference for sweet foods is found to be already evident in newborns, who prefer sweeter formulas (配方). It also seems to be shared by children globally across cultures and climates. There’s further evidence that kids’ taste buds (味蕾) are more sensitive to bitter-tasting foods, further pushing them to reach for the sweets. One study showed that adults tend to maximize their sugar preference at about the level of sugar in a can of soda, but older children still liked drinks that were twice as sweet. The scientists couldn't find a limit to the concentration of sugar younger children preferred. It turms out that the kids still liked the sugary drink even past the point where there was too much sugar to be dissolved (溶解) in water anymore.
Sugar gets a bad fame, but it isn't all bad. Sugar provides our bodies with calories, which we can then change into energy. Children, in particular, need this energy to fuel their rapid growth. Sugar also helps us store fat, which can be drawn on later if needed. Our body knows to pursue the things it needs as two way of signaling our brain to start eating what we’re missing.
As a vegetarian (素食主义者)，I know that when I start thinking about stealing the peanut butter sandwich that's been floating around in my kid' s backpack, it' s probably not because the sandwich is so delicious. It' s more likely that I haven't gotten enough protein for the day.
1.What makes so many people study sugar?
A.High sugar intake.
B.Curiosity about Sugar.
C.The love for sugar.
D.The magic effect of sugar.
2.What do the studies show about eating the sweets?
A.Loving sugar is human's nature.
B.A vegetarian doesn't like sugar so much.
C.The older one is, the more sugar one needs.
D.The love for sugar depends on living habits.
3.How does sugar impress us according to the text?
A.Deadly but irresistible.
B.Beneficial but harmful.
C.Necessary but not welcome.
D.Useful but not nutritious.
4.Why does the author steal his kid's food?
A.To store more protein,
B.To treat his illness.
C.To avoid his kid eating more.
D.To meet body' s needs.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Jo Usmar is a writer for Cosmopolitan and co-author of the lifestyle books. Here she picks her top reads.
Frankly in Love by David Yoon
There are some books I would never pick up if it weren' t for review purposes and Frankly in Love is one of therm. I bad heard of this book and seen it all over Goodreads.
Within the first few pages of this book, I was all in. I think part of what was so engaging is that it's from he viewpoint of Frank Li, a teen of high school.
Game of Stars by Sayantani Dasgupta
Just like any 12-year-old girl, Kiran is just tying to figure out who she is. Unlike other 12-year-old girls, however, she has to0 deal with titles like "princess and "demon slayer (魔鬼杀手)”. She happens to be a princess from the Kingdom Beyond, a world where gods and demons existed. Now it is up to her to save the kingdom and be the hero.
Abraham Lincoln:Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
This is a remarkable book. The depth of the story went far beyond my expectations. The author paints a picture of Lincoln, a portrait (肖像) of strength, determination, and sacrifice in the face of personal and national disaster. Although some readers may find it rude to use a great leader of the United States in a fictional action book for entertainment, Grahame Smith tries to preserve an air of dignity and honor in the character of Lincoln.
1.What does the book Frankly in Love probably show to readers?
A.A world in a teen's eye.
B.The building of a new country.
C.The life of a famous politician.
D.Ways of becoming a top student.
2.If you don't like to read about sex, which do you prefer?
A.Frankly in Love
B.Game of Stars
C.Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
D.Cosmopolitan
3.What is special about Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?
A.It's about a romantic painter.
B.It is a collection of pictures.
C.It' s about a country leader.
D.It tells the true life of the author.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析