We recently asked subscribers of the BuzzFeed Books newsletter to tell us about a book that changed their lives. There’s something here for everyone, so take your pick — and get ready to be inspired.
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
This is a book about the story of an unlikely friendship between Finch, who's fascinated with dying, and Violet, who's living for the future in the wake of her sister's death. Both have much to learn from each other. All the Bright Places really shows that, no matter what tragedy or hardship you may have faced, you eventually just have to get back out there and live your life. —Mikaila C.
Get it from Amazon for $7.99+, Barnes and Noble for $8.49, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
As an American-Nigerian, this book spoke to me on so many levels — from the simple joy of a text interspersed with the language of my parents, to the struggle of understanding race in terms of the world beyond America. I highly recommend it.—Chikodili Agwuna
Get it from Amazon for $10.99+, Barnes and Noble for $13.07, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Growing up without family to turn to during adolescence, I felt every pain and loneliness that the prince experienced. But The Little Prince taught me to make friends and value them by looking into their hearts — not just into what they projected in public. —Erika, Chicago
Get it from Amazon for $6.51+, Barnes and Noble for $7.51, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.'
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
This is the story of two Afghan women who find their lives connected forever. It taught me about the struggles of womanhood, as well as the power and strength of sisterhood, and proves that not all love stories have to be romantic.—Susan M.
Get it from Amazon for $5.43+, Barnes and Noble for $10.94, or a local bookseller through IndieBound.
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1.Which of the following doesn’t tell about friendship?
A.All the Bright Places B.Americanah
C.The Little Prince D.A Thousand Splendid Suns
2.Whose book is the cheapest from Barnes and Noble?
A.Jennifer Niven B.Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
C.Antoine de Saint-Exupéry D.Khaled Hosseini
3.Where does the passage most probably come from?
A.a travel guide B.a newspaper
C.a magazine D.a website
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
As a Hollywood film star in the 1930s and 1940s, Hedy Lamarr at one point was called "the most beautiful woman in the world." What she was less known for was her scientific intellect.
Lamarr had a natural curiosity about the world around her. As young as age 5, she would spend time taking apart and rebuilding her music box to understand how it worked. But her technical mind was overshadowed by her looks-at 16, she got her first film role and quickly became an international icon.
As her acting career continued to take off during World War II, Lamarr became restless, feeling that she should do more to contribute to the Allies' war efforts. Together with her friend Antheil, Lamarr came up with a groundbreaking new form of wireless communication known as spread spectrum(光谱).The concept was to create a wireless signal that could hop from frequency to frequency, making it impossible to track or jam.They received a patent for their technology in 1942, but the military refused to implement(实施) it in their war effort.
The technology sat unused for years, until one day the military revived it in the 1960s and the system "spread like wildfire."It became the backbone of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and a range of wireless communication mechanisms we rely on today.By the time the technology was implemented, Lamarr's patent had been due, and she never received a single payment for her revolutionary invention.
Hedy Lamarr played the role she was expected to play in Hollywood — a beautiful object to admire on the big screen.If she yielded to society's expectations in other ways, communication as we know it could look completely different today.
1.What was special about Hedy Lamarr?
A.She was the most beautiful woman in the world at one time.
B.She was a naughty girl when she was young.
C.She was gracefully beautiful as well as scientifically intellectual.
D.She decide to quit her acting career after World War II broke out.
2.What was the main reason for Lamarr to invent spread spectrum?
A.She was no longer a popular actress.
B.She wanted to make some contribution to the Allies' war efforts.
C.She was out of condition and couldn’t continue her acting career.
D.Her friend Antheil asked her to do so.
3.When did Lamarr’s patent come into use ?
A.During World War II B.In 1942
C.In the 1960s D.In recent years
4.Why did the author write the text?
A.To remember a great inventor. B.To introduce an invention.
C.To encourage women to invent. D.To stress the importance of Lamarr’s invention.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
If your fingers get chilly all year round—even in the peak of summer—you’re not alone. Many people get cold hands during all of the seasons, due to a number of causes, from genetic to chronic illnesses.
Common reasons include being elderly and thin. If your hands are regularly cold or numb, however, it’s a good idea to see a doctor to rule out more serious causes. Cold hands are one of the symptoms of both anemia (贫血症) and hypothyroidism (甲状腺机能减退). Diabetes, which reduces blood circulation, can also trigger it. And if your heart is weak from heart disease, your body may prioritize sending blood to your core over your limbs.
For many others, cold hands are a sign they have a largely harmless condition called Raynaud’s disease. When any of us goes out in the cold, our bodies activate the muscles in our smallest blood vessels to make them even smaller—a survival mechanism to keep blood, and thus warmer temperatures, in our core. For people with Raynaud’s, this reaction is too strong, and instead of just a bit less blood going to their fingers, far too little gets there.
Raynaud’s is more common in women, and it most often develops before the age of 30. In fact, if you develop Raynaud’s when you’re older—usually after 40—it can be a sign of another underlying issue. That could be a smaller problem—a previous incident of frostbite (冻伤) or a sign of a more serious autoimmune condition, like lupus (狼疮).
For the majority of people living with Raynaud’s, medication won’t be necessary. However, a rare, more severe form of Raynaud’s affects less than one in 1,000 people. In these cases, blood can become completely blocked, causing sores on the hands. If they go untreated, it can lead to gangrene (坏疽) and, very rarely, amputation (截肢).
1.What’s the purpose of paragraph 1?
A.introduce a topic B.present an argument
C.describe the characters D.clarify his writing purpose
2.According to the text, which of the following is not the cause of cold hands?
A.diabetes B.heart disease C.aging D.obesity
3.What do we know about Raynaud’s disease?
A.It appears when blood vessels in your body overreact to high temperatures.
B.Males never suffer from it before the age of 30.
C.In some cases, it can be a sign of some health issues.
D.For most people, it is a serious health problem.
4.What will the author talk about in the following paragraph?
A.The reasons why people have cold hands
B.Ways to treat Raynaud’s disease and prevent cold hands
C.Medical research on Raynaud’s Disease
D.Disadvantages of cold hands
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Why doesn’t the Leaning Tower of Pisa fall over during its over 800 years history? To understand their situation, it's helpful to understand why the tower tilted in the first place.
In the 12th century, the wealthy maritime republic of Pisa set about turning its cathedral square into a magnificent landmark. In 1173, construction began on a free-standing bell tower. The engineers and architects of the time were masters of their craft but knew far less about the ground they stood on. Less than five years later, the tower's southern side was already underground. If workers added more weight, the pressure from upper stories would sink the structure and fatally increase the lean. But construction stopped at the fourth story for nearly a century, which allowed the soil to settle.
When construction began again in 1272, workers compensated for the tower's minor tilt by making the next few floors taller on the southern side. But the weight of the extra masonry made that side sink even deeper. By the time they completed the seventh floor and bell chamber, the angle of the tilt was 1.6 degrees.
In 1838, engineers dug a walkway around the base to examine the sunken foundation. But removing the supporting sand only worsened the tilt. In 1935, the Italian Corps of Engineers injected mortar to strengthen the base. However, the mortar wasn't evenly distributed throughout the foundation, resulting in another sudden drop and moving the tower closer to its tipping point.
With exact data and new computing technology, in 1992, the construction team drilled diagonal tunnels to remove 38 cubic meters of soil from under the tower's north end. Then, they temporarily counterbalanced the structure, with 600 tons of lead ingots before anchoring the base with steel cables. More than six centuries after its construction, the tower was finally straightened to a tilt of about four degrees.
Today the tower stands at 55– or 56– meters tall, and it should remain stable for at least 300 years as a monument to the beauty of imperfection.
1.The passage is developed mainly in the form of ______.
A.time and events B.definition and description
C.contrast and conclusion D.examples and statements
2.What does the underlined phrase “compensated for” in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.arranged for B.made up for C.called for D.accounted for
3.What has finally led the tower to approach closer to its tipping point?
A.Engineers’ misjudgment of the soil under the tower
B.Making the next few floors taller on the southern side
C.Removing the supporting sand from the sunken foundation
D.The unevenly distributed mortar throughout the foundation
4.What can be a suitable title for the passage?
A.Who is to blame for the leaning?
B.Why doesn't the Leaning Tower of Pisa fall over?
C.How did the Leaning Tower of Pisa get its name?
D.Will the Leaning Tower of Pisa fall over？
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
4 sustainability tips for Earth Day
On this Earth Day, sea turtles are thriving on Florida beaches and the air in Los Angeles is cleaner than ever before. But these events are the result of the coronavirus pandemic, when there are fewer cars on the road, planes in the sky, and factories at full production. With most people at home, nature is prospering. Few believe these improvements will continue when people are able to head to the office again. 1..
Help the environment while eating healthier. 2.. Using ingredients that have a much smaller environmental impact compared to using animal products. While you're in the kitchen, instead of throwing away your bits of onion, celery, and garlic, scoop up the scraps and try re-growing them for your own garden.
Time for spring recycling. A lot of people are using their extra time at home to remove their clothes they'll never wear again and birthday cards from a decade ago. Instead of throwing it all away, there are several companies and nonprofits that will accept these items, turning them into new products or recyclable materials. The Crayon Initiative takes discarded crayons, melts them down, and remanufactures them, with the new crayons then sent to children's hospitals. 3..
4.. Here's a smaller decision that can make a difference: When recycling a bottle, make sure you first take off the bottle cap and throw it in the trash. Also, when cafes are back open again, choose a reusable thermos or enjoy your drink in one of their mugs because paper to-go coffee cups are lined with a plastic film that can't be recycled.
Properly dispose of prescription drugs. In order to keep the no-longer- necessary prescription drugs away from kids or anyone else who shouldn't get into them, some people flush them down the toilet. 5.. Most communities have a safe place to dispose of old and unused prescriptions, with pharmacies and hospitals often accepting the drugs.
A.Collect as more bottle caps as possible.
B.Throw away those bottle caps.
C.However, there are still a few things we can do for the planet.
D.It is a great way to deal with old and unused prescriptions.
E.This can change the water supply and affect water wildlife.
F.Lockdown is a good time to try more plant-based recipes.
G.Even old birthday, Christmas, and thank you cards can be made new again, thanks to St. Jude's Ranch for Children.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
We are surrounded by stories of sadness, cruelty and violence. Evil arrests our __ . But there are also many____stories of selfless goodness. They could___ go unnoticed, but such acts can also change lives forever.
My brothers and I __ with a story of something that happened to my father, who___ seven years ago. It is a story of family tragedy and astonishing, quiet kindness. My father’s father died when my father was 11. His mother was a widow at 34, and as an only child, he___ much of his grief alone. In accordance with traditional___ , he began to walk very early to church each morning to say prayers in his father’s___ .
At the end of his first week, he___ that the ritual director of the synagogue, Mr. Einstein, walked past his home just as he left to walk to church . Mr. Einstein, ___ advanced in years explained, “Your home is on the way to the church. I thought it might be fun to have some___ . That way, I don’t have to walk alone.”For a year my father and Mr. Einstein walked through the New England __ , the humidity of summer and the snow of winter. They talked about life and loss and, for a while, my father was not so___ .
After my parents married and my oldest brother was born, my father___ Mr. Einstein, now well into his 90s, and asked if Mr. Einstein could meet his new wife and child. Mr. Einstein___ , but said that in view of his age my father would have to come to him.
My father once wrote about what happened: “The journey was long and___ . His home, by car, was ______ twenty minutes away. I drove in tears as I ______ what he had done. He had walked for an hour to my home so that I would not have to be alone each morning. … By the simplest of gestures, the___ of caring, he took a frightened child and he___ him with confidence and with faith back into life.”
1.A.doubt B.goal C.attention D.dream
2.A.confusing B.exciting C.amazing D.moving
3.A.widely B.easily C.clearly D.particularly
4.A.grew up B.took off C.broke away D.gave in
5.A.passed away B.fell down C.died away D.get away
6.A.burden B.took C.carried D.bore
7.A.behaviour B.practice C.habit D.motion
8.A.support B.favour C.memory D.place
9.A.noticed B.discovered C.expected D.predicted
10.A.usually B.even C.still D.already
11.A.company B.experience C.interest D.comfort
12.A.fields B.seasons C.scenes D.months
13.A.different B.lively C.alone D.simple
14.A.rang back B.worried about C.came across D.called up
15.A.promised B.refused C.agreed D.arrived
16.A.accidental B.complicated C.short D.satisfied
17.A.fully B.regularly C.commonly D.hardly
18.A.confirmed B.saw C.realized D.told
19.A.faith B.behavior C.kindness D.act
20.A.held B.led C.warned D.protected
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。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），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。
I went to Mount Fanjing with my classmates two years ago. That impressed me was climbing the mountain.It was the late spring and it was a little cold in the mountain. The mountain was such steep that we could hardly climb to the top of the mountain. In the process of climbing, I was too tired to go on climbing. But when I saw other student trying their best to climb, I made up my mind to be the first one to climb to the top. Then I picked up a branch of a tree to support me. Unluckily, I slipped and fell down. At the critically moment,one classmate hold me so I did not fall off the mountain. Under their help, I finally climbed to the top of the mountain.
I was very exciting because it was the first time I had climbed a mountain. Meanwhile, I understood that we should help each other when we were in trouble. This trip came to an end soon, but it still encourages me overcome the difficulties I face.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你叫李华，你的英语笔友Steven来信说他和同学因为小事发生了争执，都不愿相互理睬，他想知道如何与同学和睦相处，请根据以下要点写一封回信。
1.表示安慰；
2.如何解决该矛盾；
3.如何与同学和睦相处。
注意：
1.词数 100 左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析