Nelda Billie has been waiting to turn on lights in her home for 15 years. ''We've been living off those oil lanterns,'' she says. ''Now we don't have to have flashlights everywhere. All the kids have a flashlight. When they get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, they have a flashlight to go to the outhouse. ''
Billie, her husband and their five kids live in a tiny, one-room cottage built with wood and mud, which is a traditional Navajo home. Their three sheep are on the green grass that carpets the rolling hills of Dilkon, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation, the largest Native American reservation in the US. They watch two men in a cherry picker hook the last power line to their home.
Billie says they've gone through too many electrical machines to count. ''My two boys, they have really bad allergies and they have asthma(哮喘), so sometimes they need the sprayer. '' Billie says. ''So we usually go to their grandma's house, travel in the middle of the night over there back and forth. ''
The Billies are not alone. About 10% of Navajos on the reservation live without electricity. And as much as 40% of them have to haul their water far away and use outhouses. A poll(民意调查) of Native Americans conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health found that more than a quarter of Native Americans have experienced problems with electricity, the Internet and with the safety of their drinking water.
Outside the Billies' home, the couple waits patiently for the workers to finish the job. Finally, after waiting for so long, the Billies watch the foreman turn on the meter behind their house and close the cover. Nelda then runs inside to open the switch. ''It's so exciting to finally have electricity here after so many years without it, '' Billie says. ''My kids are going to be so happy. They keep asking every day… They go, 'Mum, we're going to have light! We're going to finally have light! '''
Now the family will wait and pray for running water and the Internet.
1.Why did Billie's children have flashlights in the past?
A.They used them as toys.
B.They wanted to save electricity.
C.They needed them to light up late at night
D.They prepared these for going to grandma's house.
2.What can we learn from paragraph 2?
A.The Billies lead a green but poor life.
B.Electricity can bring about great changes.
C.The situation of Native Americans is serious.
D.There is an urgent need for electricity in Billie's house.
3.How does Billie often find electricity to treat her children's illness?
A.By walking a long way to a friend.
B.By producing electricity herself.
C.By inviting workers to her house.
D.By going to her mum's house.
4.What does the underlined sentence ''The Billies are not alone. ''imply in paragraph 4?
A.The Billies live far from cities but never feel lonely.
B.More Navajos suffer greatly from no electricity.
C.Only 10%of Navajos live without safe drinking water.
D.A quarter of Navajos have experienced problems with electricity.
5.What is the best title for the text?
A.The Disappearing Oil Lanterns B.Poor People's Bright Future
C.Electricity Bringing Hope D.Power Lines Construction
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Birthday parties and graduations are occasions when people celebrate with balloons, often releasing (释放) them into the sky happily. But what happens to those plastic balloons once they become flat? Where do they end up?
For years, many environmental groups have pushed for mass balloon releases to be inhibited, saying that balloon pieces and strings are dangerous to wildlife. “They can bring harm to wildlife simply because they are colorful and bright, so wildlife might think they are delicious food, and their bodies can get caught by the strings, thus making it difficult for them to swim or breathe.” Emma Tonge, communications and outreach specialist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told USA Today. Yet releases still happen.
Researchers in Australia analyzed the effects that soft plastics like balloons have on seabirds. They have discovered that soft plastics are more likely than hard plastics to cause barriers in seabirds’ gastrointestinal tracts (胃肠道). Of the birds examined, nearly one out of five died as a result of swallowing a balloon or balloon pieces.
“If seabirds eat plastics, their risk of death increases, and even a single piece can be deadly,” wrote lead study author Lauren Roman, PhD student at University of Tasmania. “The evidence is clear that if we want to stop seabirds from dying from plastic ingestion (吸入) we need to reduce or remove marine debris (海洋垃圾) from their environment, particularly balloons.”
Balloons Blow, a nonprofit organization, is devoted to educating people about the dangers released balloons can have on animals, people and the environment. The group points out that all released balloons return to the ground as litter. Animals like birds, whales and sea turtles can die after swallowing balloons.
1.Why does wildlife eat balloon pieces?
A.They mistake them for delicious food. B.They eat anything for lack of food.
C.They feel like eating bright things. D.They suck them just for pleasure.
2.What does the underlined word“inhibited”in paragraph 2 most probably mean?
A.objected B.adjusted C.banned D.governed
3.What can we infer from the researchers’analysis in paragraph 3?
A.Seabirds are forced to swallow balloons.
B.Balloons mainly determine seabirds’survival.
C.Soft plastics are worse than hard ones for seabirds.
D.Seabirds are more sensitive to hard plastics.
4.What is Lauren Roman’s idea on the released balloons?
A.They have bad effects on all the birds. B.They are harmless in small pieces.
C.They are major damage to people. D.They do great harm to seabirds.
5.What is the text mainly about?
A.What released balloons bring to the ocean.
B.Why people should stop releasing balloons.
C.When action will be taken to protect wildlife.
D.How released balloons can be finally reduced.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
How to Prevent New Coronavirus(冠状病毒)?
New coronavirus is a member of the coronavirus family that cause conditions like the common cold, SARS and other respiratory(呼吸的) conditions. While new coronavirus can be serious, taking preventative measures can help you protect your health at home.
Wash your hands with soap and water to minimize your infection(感染) risk. 1. Wet your hands with warm water, then apply a mild soap. Work the soap for 20-30 seconds, and then wash your hands clean under warm running water.
Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth. You may come into contact(接触) with the new coronavirus on a surface, like a door handle or countertop. When this happens, the bacteria can stay on your hands, so you can easily infect yourself if you touch your face with dirty hands. 2.
Stay away from people who are coughing or sneezing. 3. Additionally, coughing and sneezing both release the virus into the air, so they may increase your risk of infection. Keep your distance from people who appear to have symptoms of an upper respiratory infection.
Disinfect high-touch surfaces daily by using a product that kills viruses. Unfortunately, new coronavirus can stay on surfaces, such as door handles and countertops. 4. Make sure the surface stays wet for about 10 minutes so it effectively kills the virus. This limits the risk of the virus staying on the surfaces and potentially causing an infection.
5. Information about new coronavirus has spread on social media, sometimes causing unnecessary fear. It’s helpful to fact-check your information before making any decisions.
A.Try not to worry too much if you’re not truly at risk.
B.Don’t run the risk of handling an animal that might be ill.
C.Use a spray disinfectant or wet wipes to clean the surfaces daily.
D.Call your doctor if you suspect that you are hit by new coronavirus.
E.Avoid touching your eyes,nose and mouth in case the virus is on your skin.
F.The best way to prevent new coronavirus is to wash your hands as often as possible.
G.Since new coronavirus is a respiratory infection,coughing and sneezing are common symptoms.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The past six months have been one of a great challenge. A close friend of mine, Joanne, _______ the end of her life. She knew it, and instead of regretting and crying, she _______ it and as she died last week I thought of how a shooting star _______ so brightly as it trails the universe, right before it _______.
It was a great _______ to have her company these past months. One of the last things she asked me was to find an organization _______ women coming out of prison, to _______ her business clothing to them for job interviews. We found such a _______ here in Raleigh where I live. I didn’t know the exact _______ of it, but it’s probably called a “Reentry” service or program and many countries and __________ have them all over the world.
I __________ her donation before she died, and thought of doing a clothing drive(衣服捐赠) __________ Joanne’s life and inviting others to gift clothing to __________ more people at the program. Well. I’m so __________ to share that it went really well. We had a lot of __________ filling the joyful business clothes for men and women.
It didn’t __________ anything but gas, time and love. __________ she is gone, I felt like we did it __________. My dear mother helped me too, and it felt so good to __________ something inspired by Joanne’s life for __________ blessing a population of people that most often is overlooked.
1.A.lost B.forgot C.escaped D.approached
2.A.accepted B.admired C.forbade D.hated
3.A.fades B.disappears C.occurs D.shines
4.A.breaks out B.goes out C.sets out D.turns out
5.A.desire B.pity C.privilege D.benefit
6.A.supporting B.opposing C.arresting D.attracting
7.A.destroy B.provide C.collect D.throw
8.A.program B.method C.behavior D.challenge
9.A.change B.cause C.chance D.name
10.A.halls B.cities C.restaurants D.schools
11.A.discovered B.researched C.delivered D.inspired
12.A.in honor of B.in charge of C.in spite of D.in search of
13.A.balance B.condemn C.bless D.grasp
14.A.nervous B.angry C.afraid D.excited
15.A.treasures B.donations C.troubles D.decorations
16.A.cost B.save C.reform D.seize
17.A.As if B.Now that C.Even if D.In case
18.A.forever B.immediately C.together D.perfectly
19.A.notice B.organize C.click D.apply
20.A.absence B.talent C.ignorance D.kindness
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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。错误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（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
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。
Last Saturday, while done some cleaning in my room, I accidentally find a box which was full of my childhood books. I donated them to an only library in the town. I hope that those who read my books can gain some knowledge which are beneficial to their futures. It is said what knowledge is the best gift we can give it to children. I hope to donate more books.
When I was here, I also signed up to volunteer to read to children during my free day. This will be a wonderfully experience I look forward.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是李华，下周你校将举办“垃圾分类”宣讲会。请你写一封邮件，邀请你的英国朋友David参加。内容包括：1.时间及地点；2.活动内容；3.欢迎他分享有关垃圾分类的经验。
注意1. 词数100左右；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：垃圾分类 garbage sorting；宣讲会 a teach-in
Dear David,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes!
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析