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Project Puffin, Skomer, Pembrokeshire
Passionate about wildlife and nature? These surveys and activities offer volunteers a close-up of our fauna (动物群）and flora (植物群）while helping to safeguard the environment.
Plan ahead for next summer and join the "puffarazzi" with the RSPB. Between early June and late July 2020,visitors to the UK's puffin (善知鸟）colonies will be asked to take photographs of birds with fish in their bills, making a note of the date, time and location and then uploading that information to a dedicated page on the RSPB 's website. The idea is to help conservation scientist Dr Ellie Owen and her team pinpoint why puffin colonies are declining (the current thinking is that it is related to a reduction in food availability caused by climate change). The colonies include Skomer Island, in Pembrokeshire, to which the Wildlife Trust of South&West Wales runs day trips between Easter and the end of September.
Boat fares from Martin's Haven to Skomer are ￡11 adult, ￡7 child, landing fee ￡11 adult, ￡5 child. Hostel-style overnight stay ￡30 adult, ￡15 child. Details of Project Puffin at rspb.org.uk
1.We can learn from the advertisement that .
A.visitors are asked to take pictures of animals and plants
B.the activity is meant to help safeguard the environment
C.the decline of puffin colonies is caused by illegal hunting
D.the puffin colonies is a tourist attraction for long holidays
2.If a couple with two children pay a day visit to the colonies, they will spend .
A.￡68 B.￡98
C.￡128 D.￡158
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
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Thomas Wallin at Cornell University in New York and his colleagues have created soft robotic grippers(机械爪）that are capable of sweating to cool down.
The grippers are capable of a cooling capacity of 107 watts per kilogram,making them more efficient sweaters than mammals.By comparison,humans and horses have a maximum cooling capacity around 35 watts per kilogram.
Each gripper consists of three finger-like parts that bend simultaneously(同步地）to grasp small objects.The 3D-printed grippers are made from hydrogels -materials which can store large amounts of water.Each finger is made from an underlayer with an internal channel to let fluid flow and is capped with a surface layer containing micropores(微孔）。
At cold temperatures,the pores close.At temperatures higher than 30C,the surface layer expands,enabling pressurised fluid from the underlayer to sweat out.The material responds simultaneously to temperature changes without the need for external sensors.
＂Sweating takes advantage of evaporative water loss to rapidly dissipate(使消散）heat,”said Wallin in a press briefing yesterday.Unlike convection or radiation,sweating lowers the temperature of a body below that of its environment,he said.
＂When the local temperature rose above the transition,the pores would simply open on their own,"said Wallin.
When blown by wind from a fan,the sweating robots cooled at a rate of 39.1C per minute, about six times faster than similar devices that are unable to sweat.The technique could be used to help robots operate for long periods of time without overheating,said team-member Robert Shepherd,also at Cornwell.
However,there is currently no means for the robot to replenish(补充）its fluid stores after sweating.This means"the robots that operate via the autonomous sweating that we've created would have to also be able to drink",said Shepherd.
1.What is the most distinct feature of soft robotic grippers?
A.They can cool themselves down by sweating.
B.They can grasp objects like human fingers.
C.They can store large amounts of water.
D.They're 3D printed and can bend.
2.What is the fundamental principle behind the sweating of robotic grippers?
A.Three parts of each gripper bend at the same time.
B.The external sensors detect the temperature change.
C.Heat expands the material and squeezes the liquid out.
D.Radiation lowers the temperature below the environment.
3.We can conclude from the last paragraph that the robots
A.can sweat by themselves
B.need to be refilled with water
C.can sense thirst and drink water
D.can work long without overheating
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Since You Need A Green Light
Truth is subjective.If there is one word of advice I would leave to my children it would be, you're better off being DIFFERENT. If the majority of people are doing something and you choose to be a part of it then you're probably on a fast track to self-destruction.
One of these disturbing changes I mentioned is the fact that my fellow oxvgen users allow themselves to be fooled so easily. It's almost as if no one can think on their own anymore.We let trends influence how we dress, talk and interact. Where I'm from, in the 90's you couldn't be caught dead with tight pants. Now, a couple of rap artist wear "skinny jeans" and it's okay? Now I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with wearing fitted clothing, but does media have to give you a green light for everything? Live your life for you.
Have you ever asked yourself, who defines your perspective of "cool?" When you see a commercial on TV advertising some new shoes that aren't economically friendly,are you interested in the actual design of the shoe or are you more concerned about how you are perceived wearing an expensive brand?
Currently,we seek that peace in the wrong places. Did you know that it's human nature to desire to be a part of something? Do you really want to be out all night drinking with the guys/girls? Who celebrates turning 33 with shots? Choose to be a part of something positive. Constantly seek to better yourself and your circle.
Life can be discouraging at times. We subconsciously corner our souls until the point where we have to escape by any means necessary. Even to the point of doing things we wouldn't normally do. Reaching the bottom of a 750ml bottle of Ciroc (a brand of alcohol)could be emotional survival. Same goes for participating in drugs and other escapes we've created.It's past time to wake up from your slumber(睡眠）。
Find your happiness. Not the temporary satisfaction from substance--less material things. Take a break from consulting your many Facebook psychologists. Think on your own for a change. Evaluate your current status and plan for where you want to be.
1.The underlined words“fellow oxygen users"refer to
A.the general public
B.patients in the hospital
C.people breathing in oxygen
D.peer groups born in the 90's
2."Pants and skinny jeans"in Para.2 are mentioned to show that
A.it's a popular way of dressing
B.fitted clothing is comfortable
C.it's a perspective of being cool
D.the media often misleads people
3.We can infer from the passage that
A.life is sometimes tough for ordinary people
B.people tend to be influenced by external factors
C.alcohol and drug abuse is gaining popularity
D.drinking can contribute to emotional survival
4.The author of this passage aims to.
A.advocate following new fashions
B.oppose drinking with close friends
C.encourage independent thinking
D.advise seeking help from experts
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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You probably know the name Christopher Robin from one of the most beloved children's books in history. But Christopher Robin Milne was a real person-the only child of Winnie the Pooh author A.A.Milne. It was his playtime in the woods with his parents and his favorite stuffed animal that inspired the series. However, the little boy would soon be thrust into the spotlight before he was even old enough for kindergarten, much less equipped to handle worldwide fame and recognition. Here's what Christopher Robin really thought of Winnie the Pooh and his own reluctant legacy(遗留下来的东西) as the hero of these stories.
Christopher Robin was born on August 21,1920.His father, Alan Alexander Milne, kept a home in London for the family, but they would often spend weekends at a country home called Cotchford Farm in East Sussex.That's the location that inspired many of the locales(故事发生的现场) in the books, including the Hundred Acre Wood. As for Winnie the Pooh, he was inspired by a real-life character, too. Well, sort of. A. A. Milne bought Christopher Robin a teddy bear named Edward Bear from Harrods of London for his first birthday, according to the New York Public Library. Christopher Robin renamed the bear Winnie after a real bear he saw at the London Zoo. Here's more about the real-life toys that inspired the other Winnie the Pooh characters.
The creation of the Winnie the Pooh stories was a family affair. In fact, A.A.Milne often credited his wife, Daphne, as a collaborator on the books because he was inspired by watching how she played with Christopher Robin, helping him bring the stuffed animals to life with different voices and personalities to suit each one.
The Winnie the Pooh sensation started with a short story that A.A.Milne wrote for the London Evening News. It was called “The Wrong Sort of Bees,” and it included Christopher Robin and his bear, Winnie the Pooh. But, according to the Smithsonian, the boy and his bear really rose to fame with the publication of A.A.Milne' s 1926 book that was illustrated by E.H. Shepard.
Fan mail poured in when people learned that there was a “real” Christopher Robin. The author would give his son those fan letters, introducing the little boy to his new, widespread fame. Christopher Robin was expected to respond to each fan letter with his nanny's help. He also appeared in a pageant(露天演出的历史剧）based on the Pooh characters and would participate in audio recordings of the books when he was only 7,which his cousin would later refer to as exploitation, according to the BBC.
Christopher Robin liked the Winnie the Pooh books at first, and he even enjoyed the fame. However, after a few years, those books that were so beloved to readers around the world became a burden to him. Christopher Robin went away to boarding school around the age of 9,at the height of Winnie the Pooch’s popularity, and he was bullied there. The other kids would play that record of Christopher Robin reading the poems about Winnie the Pooh and tease him mercilessly.
Plus, the real-life Christopher Robin was very different from the fictional character who shared his name, but people made the false assumption that he was truly like the character in the books. As a result, Christopher Robin felt very misunderstood. Here are more fictional characters you never knew were based on real people.
By 1929,A.A.Milne told reporters that he was “amazed and disgusted” by Christopher Robin's fame. Although he didn't go into detail about the problems that his son faced, the author felt that his son had already experienced more fame than he had intended or wanted for him. Realizing that his young son might be damaged by this, A.A.Milne swore never to write another children's book after the fourth Pooh book was published.
Still, as with most family situations, things were complicated. The Guardian reports that A.A. Milne was a bit in denial about the grave impact the fame had on his son, telling reporters on another occasion that Christopher Robin referred to himself as “Billy Moon” at home and claiming that the fame didn't impact them personally. That would prove to be untrue.
1.What happened to Christopher Robin after the series succeeded?
A.He stopped playing in the woods with his toys.
B.He became the center of worldwide attention.
C.He prepared himself for kindergarten education.
D.He refused to admit being the hero of these stories.
2.How did the creation of the Winnie the Pooh stories take place?
A.It resulted from Milne' s family cooperation.
B.It was inspired by Robin's first birthday party.
C.It was assisted by the real-life stuffed animals.
D.It began with a casual visit to a country home.
3.What do we know about the book The Wrong Sort of Bees by
A.It was cowritten by E.H.Shepard and A.A.Milne.
B.It helped the boy and his bear to achieve great fame.
C.It laid the base for the boy and his bear rising to fame.
D.It was published in 1926 according to the Smithsonian.
4.What was his cousin's attitude to Robin's participation in these activities?
A.Supporting. B.Aggressive.
C.Objective. D.Disapproving.
5.Why did Christopher Robin become tired of the fame after a few years?
A.Because he began to study in a boarding school.
B.Because he disliked the fictional character any more.
C.Because he shamed his name with the fictional character.
D.Because he suffered from the bullies and misunderstandings.
6.What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?
A.People might mask their true feelings for certain reasons.
B.People are likely to make family situations more complex.
C.People should be encouraged to tell the truth to reporters.
D.People can be influenced by complicated family situations.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
