游客
题文

E
Many cities in the world are benefiting from the nocturnal (夜间活动的) activities of a group of people who call themselves guerrilla (游击队的) gardeners. Armed with trowels, spades and a van full of flowers and plants, guerrilla gardeners turn abandoned urban land into a blaze of color. In city centre locations where there was mud, weeds and empty plastic bottles, residents often wake up to find that the wasted area has been transformed overnight with brightly-colored bedding plants.
In most British cities, local governments and police turn a blind eye to the exploits (开发) of the gardeners, whose activities are always carried out under cover of nightfall. And so far, there has been nothing but praise from the astonished and delighted local residents when they find their neighborhood transformed in such a striking fashion.
Not only do the guerrilla gardeners beautify neglected places, they also return regularly to water the plants and weed the flower beds. They also make sure that at least some of the plants they bring are evergreens, which means that the area doesn’t look dismal (凄凉的) in the winter months.
The first guerrilla gardener in London was Richard Reynolds, whose day job is at an advertising agency. Mr Reynolds, a graduate of Oxford University, began his efforts two years ago when he moved to a flat in a tower block in South London. From his balcony, he could see several empty concrete pots, placed by the local governments to contain plants but never used. He went out after midnight and filled the pots with plants, and then planted more flowers in the path leading to the entrance to the block.
He then set up a website to explain his plan and called upon more gardeners to join him. Cash donations flooded in and, more importantly, volunteers rushed to be part of the campaign. Within six months, there were five hundred people in London prepared to come out at very short notice to revitalize (恢复活力) neglected parts of the urban landscape. There are now unofficial but carefully-organized groups in many cities in Britain and North America and there is also a website where would-be urban gardeners can find out the location of the next expedition.
1. According to the text, guerrilla gardeners got their names ______.
A. because of the residents’ advice                    B. from the local governments
C. for the nature of their work                         D. based on the local cultures
2. These guerrilla gardeners do their work ______.
A. at the request of the government                  B. nearby their house
C. often in return for others’ help                      D. of their own free will
3. Why do the guerrilla gardeners often return to their former working places?
A. To look after these plants.                           B. To enjoy these beautiful flowers.
C. To help plants live through winter months.    D. To change the types of these plants.
4. Richard Reynolds decided to fill the pots with plants with the purpose of ______.
A. making the neighborhood more beautiful      B. agreeing with his own job
C. advertising some products in his agency        D. killing his spare time
5. It can be inferred from the text that these guerrilla gardeners ______.
A. are mainly from the United Kingdom
B. will later get well paid
C. are still not accepted by the local people
D. become more and more organized

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Plastic-Eating Worms

Humans produce more than 300 million tons of plastic every year. Almost half of that winds up in landfills(垃圾填埋场), and up to 12 million tons pollute the oceans. So far there is no effective way to get rid of it, but a new study suggests an answer may lie in the stomachs of some hungry worms.

Researchers in Spain and England recently found that the worms of the greater wax moth can break down polyethylene, which accounts for 40% of plastics. The team left 100 wax worms on a commercial polyethylene shopping bag for 12 hours, and the worms consumed and broke down about 92 milligrams, or almost 3% of it. To confirm that the worms' chewing alone was not responsible for the polyethylene breakdown, the researchers made some worms into paste(糊状物) and applied it to plastic films. 14 hours later the films had lost 13% of their mass - apparently broken down by enzymes (酶) from the worms' stomachs. Their findings were published in Current Biologyin 2017.

Federica Bertocchini, co-author of the study, says the worms' ability to break down their everyday food - beeswax - also allows them to break down plastic. "Wax is a complex mixture, but the basic bond in polyethylene, the carbon-carbon bond, is there as well, "she explains, "The wax worm evolved a method or system to break this bond. "

Jennifer DeBruyn, a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee, who was not involved in the study, says it is not surprising that such worms can break down polyethylene. But compared with previous studies, she finds the speed of breaking down in this one exciting. The next step, DeBruyn says, will be to identify the cause of the breakdown. Is it an enzyme produced by the worm itself or by its gut microbes(肠道微生物)?

Bertocchini agrees and hopes her team's findings might one day help employ the enzyme to break down plastics in landfills. But she expects using the chemical in some kind of industrial process - not simply "millions of worms thrown on top of the plastic."

(1)What can we learn about the worms in the study?

A.

They take plastics as their everyday food.

B.

They are newly evolved creatures.

C.

They can consume plastics.

D.

They wind up in landfills.

(2)According to Jennifer DeBruyn, the next step of the study is to .

A.

identify other means of the breakdown

B.

find out the source of the enzyme

C.

confirm the research findings

D.

increase the breakdown speed

(3)It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the chemical might .

A.

help to raise worms

B.

help make plastic bags

C.

be used to clean the oceans

D.

be produced in factories in future

(4)What is the main purpose of the passage?

A.

To explain a study method on worms.

B.

To introduce the diet of a special worm.

C.

To present a way to break down plastics.

D.

To propose new means to keep eco-balance.

Find Your Adventure at the Space and Aviation(航空) Center

If you're looking for a unique adventure, the Space and Aviation Center (SAC) is the place to be. The Center offers programs designed to challenge and inspire with hands-on tasks and lots of fun.

More than 750,000 have graduated from SAC, with many seeking employment in engineering, aviation, education, medicine and a wide variety of other professions. They come to camp, wanting to know what it is like to be an astronaut or a pilot, and they leave with real-world applications for what they're studying in the classroom.

For the trainees, the programs also offer a great way to earn merit badges(荣誉徽章). At Space Camp, trainees can earn their Space Exploration badge as they build and fire model rockets, learn about space tasks and try simulated(模拟) flying to space with the crew from all over the world. The Aviation Challenge program gives trainees the chance to earn their Aviation badge. They learn the principles of flight and test their operating skills in the cockpit(驾驶舱) of a variety of flight simulators. Trainees also get a good start on their Wilderness Survival badge as they learn about water- and land-survival through designed tasks and their search and rescue of "downed" pilot.

With all the programs, teamwork is key as trainees learn the importance of leadership and being part of a bigger task.

All this fun is available for ages 9 to 18. Families can enjoy the experience together, too, with Family Camp programs for families with children as young as 7.

Stay an hour or stay a week - there is something here for everyone!

For more details, please visit us online at www.oursac.com.

(1)Why do people come to SAC?

A.

To experience adventures.

B.

To look for jobs in aviation.

C.

To get a degree in engineering.

D.

To learn more about medicine.

(2)To earn a Space Exploration badge, a trainee needs to .

A.

fly to space

B.

get an Aviation badge first

C.

study the principles of flight

D.

build and fire model rockets

(3)What is the most important for trainees?

A.

Leadership.

B.

Team spirit.

C.

Task planning.

D.

Survival skills.

My First Marathon(马拉松)

A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.

I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn't do either well. He later informed me that I was "not athletic".

The idea that I was "not athletic" stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!

The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn't even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.

Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!

At mile 3, I passed a sign: "GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!"

By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.

By mile 21, I was starving!

As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.

I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.

Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a "marathon winner".

(1)A month before the marathon, the author ____________.

A.

was well trained

B.

felt scared

C.

made up his mind to run

D.

lost hope

(2)Why did the author mention the P.E. class in his 7th year?

A.

To acknowledge the support of his teacher.

B.

To amuse the readers with a funny story.

C.

To show he was not talented in sports.

D.

To share a precious memory.

(3)How was the author's first marathon?

A.

He made it.

B.

He quit halfway.

C.

He got the first prize.

D.

He walked to the end.

(4)What does the story mainly tell us?

A.

A man owes his success to his family support.

B.

A winner is one with a great effort of will.

C.

Failure is the mother of success.

D.

One is never too old to learn.

We've all been there:in a lift,in line at the bank or on an airplane,surrounded by people who are,like us,deeply focused on their smartphones or,worse,struggling with the uncomfortable silence.

What's the problem? It's possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence. It's more likely that none of us start a conversation because it's awkward and challenging, or we think it's annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it's an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.

Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can't forget that deep relationships wouldn't even exist if it weren't for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease (润滑剂) for social communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. "Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk," he explains. "The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them."

In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction(互动) with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience."It's not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband," says Dunn."But interactions with peripheral(边缘的) members of our social network matter for our well﹣being also."

Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk."Small talk is the basis of good manners," he says.

(1)What phenomenon is described in the first paragraph?    

A.

Addiction to smartphones.

B.

Inappropriate behaviours in public places.

C.

Absence of communication between strangers.

D.

Impatience with slow service.

(2)What is important for successful small talk according to Carducci?    

A.

Showing good manners.

B.

Relating to other people.

C.

Focusing on a topic.

D.

Making business deals.

(3)What does the coffee﹣shop study suggest about small talk?    

A.

It improves family relationships.

B.

It raises people's confidence.

C.

It matters as much as a formal talk.

D.

It makes people feel good.

(4)What is the best title for the text?    

A.

Conversation Counts

B.

Ways of Making Small Talk

C.

Benefits of Small Talk

D.

Uncomfortable Silence

Teens and younger children are reading a lot less for fun, according to a Common Sense Media report published Monday.

While the decline over the past decade is steep for teen readers, some data in the report shows that reading remains a big part of many children's lives,and indicates how parents might help encourage more reading.

According to the report's key findings, "the proportion (比例) who say they 'hardly ever' read for fun has gone from 8 percent of 13﹣year﹣olds and 9 percent of 17﹣year﹣olds in 1984 to 22 percent and 27 percent respectively today."

The report data shows that pleasure reading levels for younger children,ages 2﹣8,remain largely the same.But the amount of time spent in reading each session has declined,from closer to an hour or more to closer to a half hour per session.

When it comes to technology and reading,the report does little to counsel(建议)parents looking for data about the effect of e﹣readers and tablets on reading.It does point out that many parents still limit electronic reading,mainly due to concerns about increased screen time.

The most hopeful data shared in the report shows clear evidence of parents serving as examples and important guides for their kids when it comes to reading.Data shows that kids and teens who do read frequently,compared to infrequent readers,have more books in the home,more books purchased for them,parents who read more often,and parents who set aside time for them to read.

As the end of school approaches,and school vacation reading lists loom(逼近)ahead,parents might take this chance to step in and make their own summer reading list and plan a family trip to the library or bookstore.

(1)What is the Common Sense Media report probably about?    

A.

Children's reading habits.

B.

Quality of children's books.

C.

Children's after﹣class activities.

D.

Parent﹣child relationships.

(2)Where can you find the data that best supports "children are reading a lot less for fun"?    

A.

In paragraph 2.

B.

In paragraph 3.

C.

In paragraph 4.

D.

In paragraph 5.

(3)Why do many parents limit electronic reading?    

A.

E﹣books are of poor quality.

B.

It could be waste of time.

C.

It may harm children's health.

D.

E﹣readers are expensive.

(4)How should parents encourage their children to read more?    

A.

Act as role models for them.

B.

Ask them to write book reports.

C.

Set up reading groups for them.

D.

Talk with their reading class teachers.

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