Olympic National Park, with its temperate rainforests and breath-taking views, exerts a natural pull on many Pacific Northwestemers. But Seattle writer Rosette Royale found it repellent. To Royale, the park seemed like a damp, dirty and unpleasant place. “I couldn’t figure out why anyone would want to carry a 50-pound pack into the wilderness and camp there for days,” he said. “It didn’t make sense.”
Then he met Bryant Carlin, a vendor (小贩) for Real Change, the Seattle weekly sold on the street by vendors who are homeless or low-wage earners. He was also a skilled outdoorsman and a nature photographer who would take weeks-long photographic journeys to the park. The two men connected in the fall of 2011 when Royale interviewed Carlin for a feature story in Real Change about Carlin’s photography.
That first time they met—and for years afterward—Carlin invited Royale to go camping with him. Each time, Royale said “Thanks, but no thanks.” Until one day, in the spring of 2015, Royale surprised himself by saying yes. “Little did I know,” said Royale, “that saying ‘yes’ would change the course of my life.”
Royale and Carlin went on five separate journeys to the Olympic wilderness. They camped in spring, summer, fall and winter. For Royale, the trips were exhausting and terrifying. But the trips were also inspiring, and helped Royale—a black, strange man—to develop a relationship with the outdoors that he had never experienced before.
For Carlin, the trips were an opportunity to throw off the label of “homeless”. In Olympic National Park, sleeping outside just means you’re a camper. But there was one aspect of Carlin’s life in the city that he couldn’t escape: alcohol abuse. While he never brought beer on their camping journeys, the effects of years of drinking weren’t so easy to leave behind.
1.What does the underlined word “repellent” in paragraph 1 mean?
A.Appealing. B.Puzzling.
C.Rewarding. D.Disgusting.
2.According to Royale, what made his life course changed?
A.His first meeting with Carlin. B.His rejection of Carlin’s invitation.
C.His camping trips with Carlin. D.His reading of Carlin’s feature story.
3.What did the trips with Royale mean to Carlin?
A.They improved his photography skills.
B.They helped him feel a sense of belonging.
C.They deepened his relationship with nature.
D.They enabled him to get rid of alcohol addiction.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Recently, as the British doctor Robert Winston took a train from London to Manchester, he found himself having to listen to a loud conversation of a fellow passenger woman. Boiling with anger, Winston took her picture and sent it to his more than 40,000 followers on the Tweet. By the time the train reached the station in Manchester, some journalists were waiting for the woman. And when they showed her the doctor's messages, she used just one word to describe Winston's actions: rude.
Winston's tale is a good example of increasing rudeness, fueled by social media in our age. Studies show that rudeness spreads quickly and virally, almost like the common cold. Just witnessing rudeness makes it far more likely that we, in turn, will be rude later on. Once infected, we are more aggressive, less creative and worse at our jobs. The only way out is to make a conscious decision to do so. We must have the courage to call it out, face to face. We must say, "Just stop." For Winston, that would have meant approaching the woman, telling her that her conversation was frustrating other passengers and politely asking her to speak more quietly or make the call at another time.
The anger we feel at the rude behavior of a stranger can drive us to do out-of-place things. Research discovered that the acts of revenge (报复) people had taken ranged from the ridiculous to the disturbing. Winston did shine a spotlight on the woman's behavior—but in a way that shamed her.
When we see rudeness occur in public places, we must step up and say something. And we can do it with grace, by handling it without a bit of aggression and without being rude ourselves. Because once rude people can see their actions through the eyes of others, they are far more likely to end the rudeness themselves. As this wave of rudeness rises, civilization needs civility (举止文明).
1.Robert Winston’s reaction to the woman’ behavior at the train can be described as ________.
A.a way of returning good for evil B.an answer to the call of the journalists
C.a good example of stopping rudeness D.an act of answering rudeness with rudeness
2.Being infected with rudeness can possibly lead to ________.
A.wiser decisions B.more frustrated passengers
C.poorer work performance D.more face-to-face communication
3.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.What to say to a rude person. B.Civilization Calls for Civility.
C.How to Fix Rudeness Spread Online D.Rude Behavior Makes a Rude Man
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
California has been facing droughts for many years, with certain areas even having to pump freshwater hundreds of miles to their distribution system. The problem is growing as the population of the state continues to expand. New research has found deep water reserves under the state which could help solve their drought crisis. Previous drilling of wells could only reach depths of 1,000 feet, but due to new pumping practices, water deeper than this can now be extracted (抽取). The team at Stanford investigated the aquifers (地下蓄水层) below this depth and found that reserves may be three times what was previously thought.
It is profitable to drill to depths more than 1,000 feet for oil and gas, but only recently in California has it become profitable to pump water from this depth. The aquifers range from 1,000 to 3,000 feet below the ground, which means that pumping will be expensive and there are other concerns. The biggest concern is the gradual setting down of the land surface. As the water is pumped out, the vacant space left is pressed by the weight of the earth above.
Even though pumping from these depths is expensive, it is still cheaper than desalinating (脱盐) the ocean water in the largely coastal state. Some desalination plants exist where possible, but they are costly to run and can need constant repairs. Wells are much more reliable sources of freshwater, and California is hoping that these deep wells may be the answer to their severe water shortage.
One problem with these sources is that the deep water also has a higher level of salt than shallower aquifers. This means that some water may even need to be desalinated after extraction, thus increasing the cost. Research from the study of groundwater has just been published. New estimates of the water reserves now go up to 2,700 billion cubic meters of freshwater.
1.According to the text, what causes the water crisis in California?
A.Previous drilling of wells. B.The messy distribution system.
C.Constant droughts in the area. D.The adoption of new pumping practices.
2.The research teams think it ________ to extract water from deeper aquifers.
A.expensive but practical B.reliable and profitable
C.cost-free but demanding D.cheap and environment-friendly
3.What is mentioned as a consequence of extracting water from deep underground?
A.The damage to aquifers. B.The sinking of land surface.
C.The decrease in operation costs. D.The negative effects on the climate.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A.To encourage people to save water.
B.To promote the seawater desalination.
C.To introduce a new way of extracting freshwater.
D.To draw people’s attention to the droughts in California.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
There are many things we remember from our childhood—the games we played, the music we listened to...but what about earning pocket money? This was our first ever wage for completing tasks such as tidying our bedroom or sorting the laundry. Our reward was a handful of coins that we safely stored. 1.
There was a time when cash was the main currency for financial transactions (交易). These days, though, using credit cards, or making cashless payments, are the most convenient ways of paying. 2. Research has found that 84% of British parents currently give notes and coins to their children—usually 7 pounds a week as an allowance.
But banks predict that by 2028 only one in ten transactions will be with cash, and that is something today’s children will have to deal with. One issue is that children may not understand the value of cash because they never see it. 3. They either should find a new way to hand out pocket money, or needn’t bother to pay it at all.
Still, solutions are available. Giving children lessons at school about finance is important. 4. The trick is to go and get some coins so that children have the opportunity to interact with them. Besides, bank accounts for older children can be opened to give them cash cards to use. Whatever method a parent chooses to adopt, their children will get some idea of the value of pocket money. 5.
A. Parents face a dilemma too.
B. This, in turn, makes the buying much easier.
C. They have completely taken the place of cash.
D. So how do parents hand out pocket money at present?
E. But parents need to teach their kids that money doesn’t grow on trees!
F. But now, it seems that parents’ attitude to handing out cash is changing.
G. And parents are advised to get children started with money as young as possible.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
Liz Woodward worked as a waitress at the Route 130 diner in Delran, New Jersey. One Thursday morning around 5:30 am, she was ________ two firefighters, Young and Hullings. Quite ________, she heard that they had been up all night putting out a ________ warehouse fire, which took 12 hours to get under control.
_____, Liz decided to honor these two heroes by picking up their ________ and writing them a heartfelt message of gratitude. It ________ ,”Your breakfast is on me today—thank you for all that you do...Fueled by fire and driven by ________ —what an example you are! Get some rest.
This simple act of kindness meant so much to the ________ firefighters. The firefighters ________ and thanked her before leaving the ________.
To return the young lady’s kindness, upon his arrival home, Hullings posted a Facebook update ________ his friends to go eat at the diner, which was quickly ________ more than 3,000 times.
_____, it was not until afterwards that they realized Liz was ________ the one that could use the help. When they found out that Liz was trying to ________ money for her paralyzed father to get a wheelchair-accessible van, Young posted with a ________ to a GoFundMe page for Liz’s dad, and the support ________.
The total donations reached $60,000 and went beyond Liz’s wildest dreams. She had never ________ that her small gesture would be paid in such a/an ________ way. “I’m truly blessed that those two walked through the doors today and ________ for the opportunity to be a part of something so positive and uplifting.” Liz Woodward said on Facebook.
1.A.calling B.serving C.hosting D.praising
2.A.in private B.in public C.by accident D.on purpose
3.A.fierce B.slight C.rare D.potential
4.A.Excited B.Embarrassed C.Touched D.Shocked
5.A.money B.check C.uniforms D.breakfast
6.A.replied B.read C.indicated D.went
7.A.courage B.concern C.confidence D.curiosity
8.A.anxious B.brave C.modest D.exhausted
9.A.showed up B.sat up C.ended up D.teared up
10.A.hotel B.station C.restaurant D.warehouse
11.A.helping B.forcing C.urging D.reminding
12.A.collected B.examined C.removed D.shared
13.A.Thus B.However C.Instead D.Besides
14.A.really B.normally C.suddenly D.hardly
15.A.count B.donate C.change D.raise
16.A.link B.picture C.note D.click
17.A.doubled B.declined C.rolled in D.spread out
18.A.promised B.expected C.doubted D.accepted
19.A.rapid B.conventional C.extreme D.generous
20.A.grateful B.eager C.prepared D.greedy
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
With the development of modem technology, people can stay 1. (connect) with their families and friends easily, however far apart they are from each other. WeChat is one of the most 2. (frequent) used means of communication in China. It is reported that the number of the WeChat users 3. (reach) over 1.1billion so far.
Once joining the WeChat, people can find more and more people start to add them 4. friends. They don’t have to consider time 5. (zone) when communicating. Another reason why ifs so popular is that it costs nothing. It’s also very convenient for people to immediately update 6. they are doing by WeChat.
However, addiction to WeChat will rob people of the time that should otherwise 7. (spend) on something more important. And the many so-called friends on it are not really friends at all, who simply want 8. (put) ads or sell items on Moments. Besides, people on the Wechat are more likely to compare 9. (they) with others, which will make them feel bad when finding some people seem to be 10. (success).
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是李华，你的英国朋友Steve被当地一所孔子学院录取，即将入学，不知道如何作学业方面的准备。请你给他写封邮件，内容包括：
1. 表示祝贺；
2. 你的建议；
3. 表达祝愿。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：孔子学院the Confucius Institute
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
Is the traditional family dinner a thing of the past? In today’s households where both parents go to work and kids have busy schedules with school, an array of afternoon activities and much homework, finding time for a gathering at the table seems impossible. Yet, studies have shown time and again that eating together has multiple benefits for family members, especially children.
According to a number of reports issued by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, children who eat at least five times a week with their family are at lower risk of developing poor eating habits, weight problems or alcohol dependencies, and tend to perform better academically than their peers who frequently eat alone or away from home.
Eating together as a family is not just about food and nutrition. “Food has become so easily and cheaply available that we no longer appreciate its significance,” says Professor Robin Fox, who teaches anthropology at Rutgers University in New Jersey. "We have to rediscover its importance and its value." Sharing a meal with loved ones should be considered a special event, which can almost take on the form of a ceremony, as it was practiced by our ancestors, for whom finding food was a constant struggle.
Besides appreciation for the value of food, there are also many social elements that come into play when families share meals, says Miriam Weinstein, author of The Surprising Power of Family Meals. The dinner table can be the perfect environment where kids learn how to conduct conversations, observe good manners, serve others, listen, solve conflicts and compromise.
Of course, there is no guarantee that the simple act of eating at home surrounded by family will save children from developing unhealthy lifestyles or making regrettable choices down the road. It may not make them more virtuous (品行端正的) or socially more responsible. But it can form a basis for a lot of things that point them in the right direction.
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析