Finland is offering free trips to people in need of happiness lessons
For the past two years, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world. Its citizens are relaxed and cheerful, enjoying life in a technologically advanced society. The Finns themselves owe(归功于) this to their connection with nature and their instinct(本能) to go outside whenever anxiety appears: “When others go to therapy(治疗), Finns put on a pair of rubber boots and head to the woods. A project called Rent A Finn will send a select number of guests to live in Finland for three days this summer. All travel and accommodation costs are covered, but you must be willing to be filmed throughout the experience.
Guest’s activities
Experience anything from visiting a national park to spending a weekend fishing at a real summer cottage， berry picking in the wilderness, enjoying a proper Finnish sauna(桑拿浴)一 basically all the things that we Finns love to do in nature and what makes Finland the happiest country worldwide.
Esko, mayor(市长) of a small town, will take you boating and teach you to play molkky, a Finnish throwing game. If you stay with Hanna, an IT professional, you’ll travel to her grandmother’s lakeside home outside Helsinki, where you’ll pick blueberries and eat traditional foods. Linda and Niko, who live on Uto, an island with a population of around 40, will take you sailing, show you the lighthouse, and camp out on an island.
Application
Now is the time to apply by filling out an online application form and filming a 3-minute video describing yourself, your connection to nature, and why you want to visit Finland. Submit, breathe deeply, and wait. I know what I’ ll be doing this weekend.
1.What do the Finns think mainly brings them happiness?
A.Getting close to nature.
B.Living in a rich country.
C.Remaining in high spirits.
D.Getting on well with others.
2.Who will lead guests to pick blueberries around a lakeside home?
A.Esko. B.Linda.
C.Hanna. D.Niko
3.What should you do if you want to join the project?
A.Complete a form online.
B.Make a video about Finland.
C.Pay the activity expenses in advance.
D.Learn how to make traditional Finnish food.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
One piece of advice I give young people is that they don't have to decide what they want to do for the rest of their life at age 22. Just think of all the jobs that didn’t exist 10 years ago and what might exist 10 years from now.
My daughter is a nurse practitioner(从业者). But she didn’t start there when she went to college. She got her undergraduate degree in hotel and restaurant management with a minor(辅修课程) in business. She wanted to find a job in travel and tourism and see the world. On graduation day she looked at me and said, “Mom, I don’t know what I’m going to do with my life that’s meaningful, but I don’t think it' s travel and tourism”. I looked at her and said, “Just get a job and then figure it out.”
She struggled for a year or two after college with a couple of different jobs including work in the travel industry for a short time. But she started thinking early on after graduation about becoming a nurse. Whenever she talked to me about it, I told her she’d be a great nurse-super organized, able to multitask better than anyone I knew, with amazing people skills. But I also told her that she’d have to work hard and study the sciences if she wanted to be a nurse.
She considered her choices and decided to enter a combined nursing/nurse practitioner program getting her second bachelor’s degree then her master’s. She had found her passion(热衷的爱好)!Her nursing career since 2005 has progressed. She now has a mix of leadership, administrative, and clinical work.
Do you know what your passion is? Have you found it in your work or are you still searching for it?
1.How did the author react to her daughter’s words on graduation day?
A.She recommended a job to her daughter.
B.She was worried about her daughter’s future.
C.She was angry about her daughter’s uncertainty.
D.She advised her daughter to find answers in practice.
2.What was the author’s attitude toward her daughter’s decision to become a nurse?
A.Cautious. B.Favorable.
C.Unconcerned. D.Disappointed.
3.What do we know about the author’s daughter?
A.She has traveled around the world.
B.She has figured out what she loves to do.
C.She was unsuccessful in her nursing career.
D.She was unwilling to follow her mother’s suggestion.
4.How does the author support her main idea?
A.By listing facts. B.By analyzing causes.
C.By making a comparison. D.By providing a typical example.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
We all know that forests-especially rainforests-absorb carbon dioxide and produce the oxygen that all living things depend on. It’s no wonder that they have been named the lungs of the planet. Today, after the big fires in the Amazon, Alaska, Greenland, and even Siberia, it’s very clear that we need to grow a forest that is fireproof. That’s not an impossible dream. We can grow seaweed forests that are fireproof because they are underwater.
Seaweed can store carbon and help reduce the influence of global warming. Now, seaweed is being farmed in small ocean farms to be used for food, medicines, and beauty products. If seaweed can be grown on a large scale(大规模地), it could help to fight against global warming.
“Seaweed is finally having its moment in the spotlight,” said Halley Froehlich, a scientist at the University of California. She is the lead author of a new study published in Current Biology. The study shows that large-scale seaweed farming could be used to cancel out land-based carbon emissions and it mapped the areas of the oceans where seaweed could be grown.
Now, only 3.8 percent of the US waters off the coast of California are being used to grow seaweed but that is just 0.065 of the ocean that can be farmed. In fact, 48 square kilometers of the world’s oceans can be used for seaweed farming.
For seaweed farms to be part of the global solution, they will have to be much larger. To create underwater forests, seaweed would have to be grown, harvested and then sunk into the deep ocean so that the trapped carbon could be buried for years to come.
While it sounds like a good plan on paper, “The technology doesn’t yet exist” to keep seaweed in the deep ocean, said Froehlich. “Hopefully this paper encourages conversation among engineers and economists about what it would take for the actual tools to be put in place.”
1.What makes people put forward the idea of growing seaweed forests?
A.The burning of forests.
B.Seaweed’s economic and medical value.
C.Uncontrollable carbon dioxide emissions.
D.Their long-lasting dream of underwater exploration.
2.Why can seaweed be used to fight against global warming?
A.It doesn’t burn. B.It doesn’t pollute.
C.It can take in carbon. D.It can break down plastics.
3.What does the underlined part “having its moment in the spotlight”in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A.Breaking silence. B.Taking a bad turn.
C.Drawing people’s attention. D.Making room for other products.
4.What does Frochlich say about the idea of growing seaweed forests in the last paragraph?
A.It has a long way to go. B.It has been put into practice.
C.It needs lots of money to carry out. D.It needs enough evidence to support.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Summer is the season of mosquitoes. And mosquito bites are truly the worst-not only are they huge and painful, but they itch(发痒) like nothing else. And once you start scratching (挠), it’s hard to stop.
You can blame female mosquitoes for the trouble we all face. There is something that enters the skin while the mosquito is enjoying its blood meal. This is the protein that leads to the allergic reaction and itching. Basically, our immune systems see the protein as an enemy. This causes the local reaction we see as the bug bite. Our bodies are just particularly sensitive to mosquito bites. Other bug bites may not have the same effect on your immune system. Bees for example, are likely to produce more pain than an itch.
Scratching a mosquito bite is a double-edged sword. It feels so good, but it also makes the itch way worse. When you scratch, you may release more local histamine, the chemical in the skin that causes the itching, and you may also be spreading the allergen under the skin. If you tend to scratch until you bleed you’re putting yourself at risk for skin infections.
You’re not imagining it -mosquito bites do itch more at night. Most people itch more at night because we are less distracted as we try to fall asleep.
If you’ve ever wondered why some mosquito bites itch more than others, it totally depends on your body. Everyone responds differently to mosquito bites. While some people may have a minimal reaction, others may experience serious reaction. It just depends on your body’s immune system. People with so-called atopic traits, who are highly sensitive, are more likely to develop more serious local reactions after the mosquito bites.
1.What accounts for the itch you feel after a mosquito bite?
A.The blood type. B.The sensitivity of our skin.
C.The change of temperature. D.The protein from mosquitoes.
2.Why do mosquito bites itch more when scratch them?
A.Scratching them helps the blood to flow quicker.
B.Your skin will be infected after you scratch them.
C.Scratching them causes a special chemical to let out.
D.You focus more on mosquito bites when you are scratching them.
3.Why are some people bothered less by mosquito bites than others?
A.Their body’s immune system is less sensitive to the bites.
B.They pay less attention to the mosquito bites.
C.Their skin is thicker than others.
D.They get used to the bites.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.The cure for mosquito bites. B.The itch caused by mosquito bites.
C.Why mosquito bites itch less than bee bites. D.How people respond to mosquito bites differently.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
These days, many people participate in talent shows because they want to be famous.1.Would you believe that an entire town once entered a game show so it could become famous?
In the 1950s, Hot Springs, New Mexico, was a small town known for its hot springs.2.
At that time, the citizens of Hot Springs liked to listen to the radio. One program they enjoyed was called “Truth or Consequences”.3.In the show, contestants(参赛者) would answer a challenging question. If they answered the question correctly, they were rewarded with a prize.
In 1950s, Ralph Edwards announced that he would visit and perform his radio show from the first town in America to change its name to Truth or Consequences.4.True to his word, Ralph Edwards visited the town and performed his show. So the town is known as Truth or Consequences.
Today, not many people remember the radio show “ Truth or Consequences”.5.The first weekend in May is the date of their yearly festival.
A.It was hosted by Ralph Edwards.
B.They hold a big celebration every year.
C.Hot Springs seized the opportunity.
D.They would reunite with friends or family.
E.It was home to over forty natural hot springs.
F.Other people enter game shows so they can win money.
G.The citizens of Truth or Consequences remember though.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
An Aussie family vacation has been saved thanks to a kind-hearted stranger. He helped the stranded (陷于困境的) travelers after learning about their _______on social media.
The Melrose family had been in the middle of a 2, 500-mile road trip across Australia last week when their car_______in the middle of the Northern Territory.
Daryn Melrose, his wife, and two daughters had _______their home in Gippsland with two boats in tow (拖在后面) so they could _______in the national minnow sailing championships in Darwin.
Since the youngsters had spent all year_______for the tournament, they were_______when they realized that all of their efforts would be in vain — with 620 miles standing between them and Darwin, it seemed as if they had no _______ but to give up their _______of competing.
Upon learning about their _______, ABC News made a social media post in the ________ that one of their readers would be willing to________ the Melrose family.
Darwin resident Rodney Sims had been ________ his news feed when he saw the appeal for help and recalled (回想起) a time when he had been in the same situation.
“About 30 years ago, strangely enough, I was in a ________situation with a broken-down car and someone helped me out...this was my time to________,” Sims said.
Sims then jumped in his truck and ________all the way down to where the family was staying in a Tenant Creek motel. After fastening their boats to his ________, he brought the Melroses all the way back to Darwin, ________to a shocking 1,250-mile round-trip journey.
Needless to say, the Melroses were extremely ________by the stranger’s act of kindness.
“What a fantastic effort,” Daryn said.“My daughters and I could not be more________for his efforts,” he added. “They got here ________and are hoping for good results after their competitions.”
1.A.disadvantages B.troubles C.conversations D.purposes
2.A.caught up B.turned up C.fell down D.broke down
3.A.left B.lost C.shared D.abandoned
4.A.serve B.survive C.compete D.develop
5.A.training B.arguing C.designing D.searching
6.A.determined B.independent C.heartbroken D.ashamed
7.A.reason B.choice C.question D.doubt
8.A.jobs B.hobbies C.members D.dreams
9.A.instruction B.dilemma C.behavior D.preference
10.A.manner B.theory C.hope D.order
11.A.help B.expect C.beat D.admit
12.A.preparing for B.caring about C.checking with D.looking through
13.A.similar B.defensive C.common D.particular
14.A.speak out B.give back C.hold on D.set out
15.A.ran B.cycled C.walked D.drove
16.A.pole B.machine C.truck D.boat
17.A.exposing B.increasing C.spreading D.amounting
18.A.amused B.touched C.confused D.embarrassed
19.A.silent B.responsible C.grateful D.anxious
20.A.in time B.in turn C.in secret D.in short
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Scientists said that slower walkers who are 1.their forties and fifties could get older 2.(quickly) than faster walkers. They could age both 3.(physical) and mentally. Doctors already knew that older people who walked slowly were more likely 4.(have) health problems. They wanted to find out if this was 5.same for younger people.
The researchers conducted a study. The participants had medical records of health checks throughout their lives. For some, these records went back to when they 6.(be) three years old. The researchers used data on the 7.(intelligent) of the participants. They looked at 8.quickly people could calculate things. They also did tests on the participants at 9.(differ) walking speeds. The participants were requested to say the alphabet while 10.(walk) at a normal speed and fast speed. They found that people who walked more slowly showed less brain activity when they were reciting the alphabet.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据句意或单词的首字母填写所给单词的正确形式。
1.The past few years have ________ (目睹)great changes throughout China.
2.Let's ________ (思考)on what we did.
3.She made a d_________ of $5,000 to the Children’s Hospital.
4.Since you have settled down in a new country, you have to make an a_________ to the new environment.
5.He was willing to participate in the _________ (自愿的) activity.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（∧），并在该句下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
My teacher Mr. Bush is the most positive person I’ve ever been met. He serves for a great teacher because of his ability to passing on positiveness to young students. Mr. Bush have been my teacher since kindergarten. He always smiles and never gets madly at students. At that time, I always felt overshadowed by my brother, which seemed to be doing better in every way. Hopelessness drowned us. But when Mr. Bush found I lost confident in myself, he just keeps encouraging me, and an unexpected warmth rushed through me as though I had been refueled. This made me ready go! Because of Mr Bush, my world was filled with sunshine and power.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是李华，你班同学打算本周日去远足。 请你用英语给班里新来的交换生Anna写一封邮件，邀请她到时间一同前往，内容包括：
1. 活动时间及地点；
2. 注意事项；
3. 远足的益处。
注意：1．适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
2．词数120左右。
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
难度: 中等查看答案及解析