Dark Sky Parks around the World
Warrumbungle National Park
Situated in the central west slopes of New South Wales is Australia’s only dark sky park, Warrumbungle. The park has served as a dark sky park since July 2016. Its crystal-clear night skies and high altitude make it a natural, educational, and astronomical heritage site in the southern half of the earth. Tourists can use Australia’s largest optical telescope within the park boundaries to view the auroras(极光)，the Milky Way, and faint shooting stars.
Sark
Sark is a Channel Island near the coast of Normandy under the protection of the UK. It was the World’s First Dark Sky Island set up in January 2011. Its historical and cultural blend attracts over 40,000 tourists annually. With no motor vehicles and public lighting on the island, there is an exceptional view of the dark skies. A rich Milky Way is visible in the dark night skies from the shores of the island.
Pic du Midi de Bigorre
Pic du Midi de Bigorre in France was designated as a dark sky park in December 2013 making it the second largest dark sky park in the world. The park covers 3.112 square kilometers spread across the Pyrenees National Park and UNESCO’s World Heritage site, Pyrenees-Mont Perdu. The park attracts over one hundred star watchers every year. The Observatory Midi-Pyrenees, which was built in 1870, is one of the world’s highest museums at a height of 2,877 meters above sea level.
Ramon Crater/Makhtesh Ramon
Ramon Crater is a unique 1,100-square-kilometer nature reserve located in the Negev Desert in Israel. In 2017, the Ramon Crater became the first designated dark sky park in the Middle East. Its location, rough climate, and forbidding landscape that are characteristic of the Negev have largely defeated historical attempts for human settlement, making it a great place to view the night skies. Stargazers usually camp in the desert to have an uninterrupted view of the stars, planets, and the Milky Way.
1.Which park serves as a heritage site for astronomy?
A. Sark.
B. Pic du Midi de Bigorre.
C. Warrumbungle National Park.
D. Ramon Crater/Makhtesh Ramon.
2.What do we know about Sark from the passage?
A. Not a single car runs there.
B. It was an island belonging to Normandy.
C. The Milky Way can only be seen there.
D. Visitors like to stay on the island in groups.
3.What makes it difficult for humans to live in Ramon Crater?
A. High altitude. B. The large area.
C. Geographical conditions. D. Cultural features.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Jon Hoffman was sitting at a red light when he saw a man run out of a store carrying a plastic donation jar full of cash. The Plano, Texas, detective, dressed in plain clothes but wearing his badge (徽章) and gun, caught the man and pinned him to the hood of his car. But Hoffman had trouble containing the thief, and they got into a struggle.
“The detective has a martial arts background, and he said he thought the suspect must have a martial arts background, too, because he was able to break away so easily,” a Plano police spokesperson said.
The detective called out for help as a crowd gathered. Among those watching: Andre Harvey and Kirby Sample, two day laborers. Harvey did what has become common these days—he took out his phone and hit record. “I hate to say it, but I thought that this policeman was doing something illegal,” Harvey said. “But when he asked for help, I thought, well, there won’t be a shooting if I get over there in time.” Harvey jumped into action—while he was still recording the video—as did Sample.
“Harvey caught hold of the suspect’s arms, while Kirby seized his legs, and they were able to get the suspect to the ground to help Detective Hoffman put the handcuffs (手铐) on,” said the police spokesperson. The 27-year-old suspect was charged with resisting arrest and other offenses. The charity jar he stole held less than $ 50.
“I’ve been on the wrong side of the law several times in my life,” Harvey told WFAA. “It feels good to be on the right side and do something positive.”
After the arrest, the three men got to know each other over steaks and ribs at a local steak house—Hoffman’s treat, as a thank-you. But the rescuers say Hoffman deserves credit too. “It could have turned real ugly.” Sample told the media “He handled himself like a real professional.”
1.What made Hoffman call for help when arresting the suspect?
A. He was not on duty. B. He needed witnesses to support him.
C. He wanted to push the thief into the car. D. He couldn’t control the suspect.
2.Why did Harvey and Kirby record the scene at the beginning?
A. To follow the fashion. B. To keep track of the criminal.
C. To record the detective’s violence. D. To avoid being involved in the incident.
3.What can be inferred about Harvey?
A. He was ready to violate the law. B. He might have had some illegal behaviour.
C. He was out of work at that time. D. He had a good martial arts background.
4.What is Harvey and Sample’s attitude towards Hoffman?
A. Appreciative. B. Prejudiced.
C. Skeptical. D. Cautious.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
There are many programs for high school students today that help lonely teenagers deal with loneliness. However, loneliness is not only a problem for teens but also an important and rarely acknowledged one in the elderly.
In Britain, Tracey Crouch was appointed to be the first Minister of Loneliness in order to address the problems caused by loneliness. This is the first time such a position has been created.
In Britain, there are around 9 million people who say they are lonely frequently. In Germany, a study conducted by Ruhr University Bochum found that 20 percent of people over the age of 85 felt lonely, and 14 percent of those between age 45 and 65 felt socially lonely. In the United States, more than 25 percent of the population live alone, more than 50 percent are unmarried.
Loneliness is generally associated with heart disease, overweight, and anxiety. Additionally, the stress from loneliness can cause your cells to change on a molecular (分子) level that reduces its abilities to defend your body against diseases. In fact, doctors believe having feelings of loneliness is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes per day in regard to its effect on health!
In Britain, the new Minister of Loneliness will help introduce government policies on the problem and fund a charity—an organization for helping people in need, to devote their efforts towards aiding loneliness. There are charities that link lonely seniors to high school students in order to give them a line of communication whenever they feel lonely!
The possibilities for the new Minister of Loneliness are endless. For example, she can provide education services to household businesses so that they can identify lonely customers if they see one. Loneliness fits into the category of being a social problem that must be monitored by the entire community in order to help those in need. Therefore, government involvement in medical services and care for seniors and others is vital for happy seniors.
1.How does the author develop Paragraph 3?
A. By listing some statistics.
B. By giving examples of lonely people．
C. By pointing out similarities and differences.
D. By comparing different cultures in different countries．
2.What does the underlined word “equivalent” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. Relevant． B. Opposite．
C. Similar． D. Superior．
3.What will the Minister of Loneliness do?
A. Do housework for lonely people．
B. Help fund charities to aid lonely people．
C. Communicate with anxious school students．
D. Develop friendships with the elderly．
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A. UK becomes the capital of loneliness．
B. Loneliness affects old people’s life worldwide.
C. Many teenagers suffer from loneliness．
D. UK’s Minister of Loneliness settles loneliness.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
In this Pennsylvania city, Pittsburgh is shrinking but getting wealthier. Since 2000, its population has declined by 95,000 while its income per capita (人均) has shot up 24 percent. The trend is taking hold in many other cities, like Buffalo in New York, Providence in Rhode Island and New Orleans.
Some of these areas have created more high-paying jobs in energy, health care or education. Others have managed to reshape their producing industry for a new economy. Higher-paying jobs have a greater effect because they create demand for additional services. "The story in Pittsburgh is very positive, and other areas are looking at it as an example of the transformation that might be possible,” said Guhan Venkatu, who wrote an economic history of the area called “Rust and Renewal” for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh have helped bring tech jobs and innovation(革新) to the area by sponsoring tech centers that help graduates start companies without moving to Silicon Valley or San Francisco. This has helped keep Pittsburgh's educated young population growing even as the entire population in the city has dropped.
Pittsburgh has more STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) jobs than other shrinking cities, about 80, 000 or 7% of all jobs. STEM jobs add productivity and income growth to the area. Manufacturers of high-tech medical equipment in the Pittsburgh area also have doubled employment in the last 10 years.
However, some experts question whether growing income per capita can really make up for a declining population. According to Patrick Adler, a researcher at the University of Toronto, population loss does matter if it means lower-skilled workers have fled because of a lack of opportunity. What's more, high-paying jobs in education and health care can disappear if the population declines too greatly. So it'd be wise to find ways to increase the population.
1.In what aspect does Pittsburgh set a good example?
A. Transforming old energy into new energy. B. Prohibiting the manufacturing.
C. Creating more well-paid jobs. D. Sponsoring higher education.
2.How do some academic institutions help with the local economy ?
A. By helping to attract more talents from home and abroad.
B. By providing much technical support to local companies.
C. By hosting tech centers to allow local educated graduates to stay.
D. By assisting in employing a large number of educated youths.
3.Why is Patrick Adler mentioned in the last paragraph?
A. To suggest increasing high-paying jobs.
B. To raise doubts about growing income per capita.
C. To tell a reason why lower-skilled workers flee.
D. To show the disadvantage of a declining population.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Why Some Cities Are Losing People but Getting Wealthier
B. How Fast Job Growth Is Related to Population Growth
C. How Less-crowded Cities Plan Their High-tech Economy
D. Why Some Cities Are Suffering From a Shrinking Population
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
How to Survive Being Stuck in a Lift
Being stuck in a lift, also known as an elevator, can sometimes be scary, especially if you are a fan of those kinds of movies which have a lot of elevator tragedies. You may think being stuck in an elevator in real life is not like in the movies.1.
Remain calm and do not panic! You may have heard of this a lot of times and it is true that panicking will do you no good. 2.
Press each of the floor buttons one by one. Then, try the “doors open” button. If none of the buttons works, the lift is broken, and you need to let someone know about it.
See if your phone has any reception or Internet. 3. If you have WiFi connection, contact a family member or friend. Don’t forget to tell them what the address is of the building and possibly which elevator you are stuck in. If your phone is not available, the following tips can help you.
Look through the gap between the doors of the lift. If you can see light between the doors, the lift has stopped near a floor, and you should be able to shout for help and be released. Do not try to force the doors open yourself. If you can’t see light between the doors, the lift has stopped between floors, and no one will be able to let you out if you scream for help. Look for an emergency telephone. If there is no telephone, press the alarm button repeatedly. 4.
5.If you have waited for more than half an hour and nobody has come to get you out, shout and bang the inside walls of the lift. If no one is responding to you, then you’ll have to accept that you will be in the lift overnight. If this happens, make yourself as comfortable as possible to save your energy. By morning, the building should be full again. You can try to get some help then.
A.It will cause you not to be able to think clearly.
B. Check the time.
C. Eventually, someone should hear you and get help.
D. Here are some tips to help you survive.
E. However, it is still a vital thing to know how to survive if it ever happens to you.
F. Use your watch.
G. If you do have reception, call emergency services.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
I’m Therese, a business manager living in Berlin, Germany. Last month, I ________ to read over 100 nonfiction books in psyshology, politics, and leadership. It might sound __________, but I really did.
It started with a ________. A colleague _______ me to read Mallcolm Gladwell’s The Story of Success in two __________. Determined as I was, I just couldn't _______ the deadline. I _________ the first few chapters quickly but found it impossible to finish all in 2 hours. So I _________ the bet, but it gave me an idea: I needed to find a better way to consume nonfiction books. I finally registered the Blinkist app, which is really _________ for me to read quickly. Blinkist is one of the apps that transform books into “bite-sized” _________. I’ve learned that in order to produce proper insights from every book, over 100 literary experts _________ themselves to work. I also love that the app has an audio _________ allowing me to listen to great ideas. So I set a fresh ________ with this cool app — to read the key insights from 100 books in one month. How did I do? I read 102 titles exactly.
I used to _________ much time on social media. Moreover, my job is exhausting, so by the time I leave work, my brain is pretty useless. _________, reading a book on the Blinkist app is like a snack for my _________. I’m happy that I’m doing something _______ with my time. Every day, I wake up ________ than the day before. If you want to get wiser too, then I challenge you to try and _________ my 102-title record! _________ the Blinkist app and start your reading adventure!
1.A. arranged B. intended C. remembered D. managed
2.A. crazy B. reasonable C. boring D. interesting
3.A. promise B. bet C. decision D. joke
4.A. encouraged B. challenged C. allowed D. persuaded
5.A. weeks B. months C. days D. hours
6.A. miss B. grasp C. meet D. catch
7.A. held back B. searched for C. got through D. thought about
8.A. won B. lost C. wrote D. purchased
9.A. useful B. precious C. simple D. ordinary
10.A. concept B. advice C. memory D. content
11.A. apply B. addict C. help D. accustom
12.A. button B. function C. signal D. picture
13.A. password B. record C. goal D. date
14.A. save B. spare C. abandon D. waste
15.A. Meanwhile B. Therefore C. However D. Indeed
16.A. heart B. body C. stomach D. brain
17.A. casual B. worthless C. productive D. severe
18.A. happier B. wiser C. worse D. busier
19.A. beat B. set C. keep D. equal
20.A. Look into B. Sign up C. Turn down D. Wait for
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，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 found that air pollution may be responsible 1. a significant reduction in intelligence. The research conducted by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) in China 2. (show) that air pollution led to big falls in test 3. (score) for languages and arithmetic. The study is called “The impact of exposure to air pollution on cognitive (认知的）performance ”. It was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal. The study took place over four years. Researchers analyzed speaking and arithmetic tests taken by 20 000 people of all ages. They said， “Polluted air may prevent cognitive ability 4. people become older.”
The study is a warning to the rest of the world, 5. (especial) to those in cities. Over 91 percent of the world population live in areas with 6. (poison) air and air pollution is the 7. (four) highest cause of global deaths. Researchers discovered that 8. longer people were exposed to polluted air，the greater their intelligence went down. They said air pollution caused a year’s worth of lost education. For those 9. were over 60 years old，this could be several years. A researcher warned，“There is no shortcut 10. (solve) this issue. Governments really need to take effective measures to reduce air pollution.”
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。
Dear Nancy,
It has been a month since you begin to teach us oral English. Thank you very much for your excellent teach. In order to practice your English, we are going to have a English Singing Contest next Friday. It is going to be hold in our classroom and will last two hours. The students are going to sing some English song. You are welcome to attend the contest and act one of the judges. You are a music lover, that is an advantage. You can give us useful advice on English pronunciation, but we also expect you to sing a song then.
If you can come, please let me to know.
Thanks a lot.
Yours,
Danie
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假如你是李华，你的美国网友Peter参加中国象棋网络挑战赛获得了一等奖。请根据以下提示写一封英文电子邮件向他表示祝贺。
1. 祝贺他获奖；
2. 肯定他付出的努力；
3. 询问何时方便，在网上切磋棋艺。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头和结尾已为你写好。
Dear Peter,
I’m writing to ______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析