Every pet owner loves his pet. There is no argument here.
But when we asked our readers whether they would clone their beloved animals, the responses were split almost down the middle. Of the 228 readers who answered it, 108 would clone, 111 would not and nine weighed each side without offering an opinion.
Clearly, from readers’ response, this is an issue that reaches deeply into both the joy and eventual sadness of owning a pet. It speaks, as well, to people’s widely differing expectations over the developing scientific procedure.
Most of the respondents who favored the idea strongly believed it would produce at least a close copy of the original; many felt the process would actually return an exact copy. Those on the other side, however, held little hope a clone could never truly recreate a pet, many simply didn’t wish to go against the natural law of life and death.
Both sides expressed equal love for their animals. More than a few respondents owned “the best dog/cat in the world”. They thought of their pets as their “best friend”, “a member of the family,” “the light of my life.” They told moving stories of pets’ heroism, intelligence and selfless devotion.
Little wonders the loss is so disturbing—and the cloning so attractive. “People become very close to their animals, and the loss can be just as hard to bear as when a friend or family member dies,” says Gary Kowalski, author of Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet. “For me, cloning feels like an attempt to turn death away…It’s understandable. Death is always painful. It’s difficult to deal with. It’s hard to accept.”
But would cloning reduce the blow? This question seemed to be at the heart of this problem.So far as the cloning of pets is concerned, a recent survey shows that, of all pet owners, __________.
| A．a lot more of them are for it |
| B．a lot more of them are against it |
| C．very few of them are willing to tell their opinions |
| D．about half of them are for it and the other half against it |
While talking about the respondents from the readers, the expression “eventual sadness of owning a pet” refers to _________.
| A．the death of one’s pet |
| B．the high cost of owning a pet |
| C．the troubles one has to deal with in keeping a pet |
| D．the dangers involved in the cloning of a pet |
In spite of their differences on the problem of cloning, it seems that ________.
| A．all pet owners try to go against the natural law of life and death |
| B．all pet owners love their pets very much |
| C．people who support cloning love their pets more |
| D．people who dislike cloning love their pets more |
From what Gary Kowalski says, we can know that he _________.
A．has never thought about the problem of cloning |
| B．is going to write another book on pets |
| C．is in favor of the idea of cloning pets |
| D．is all against the cloning of pets |
What is the key question at the heart of the problem of cloning pets?
| A．Can pet owners afford the cost of cloning? |
| B．Can cloning make the pain one suffers less when a pet dies? |
| C．Does cloning go against the law of nature? |
| D．How reliably does cloning produce an exact copy of one’s pet? |
The Calgary Public Library has some great resources to beat boredom and keep your children busy over the summer, whether at home or on the road．
During the school year children are busy with homework and required reading, so summer is a great time for them to relax and read what they choose. Not only is reading a pleasurable way to pass the time, it will also help children keep their skills up over the summer, so they are prepared to go back to school in the fall．
If you are taking a trip this summer, why not let the kids help out with the planning? Borrow a children’s atlas (地图集) to choose your way together and check out some books about your destination before departure. The All about Provinces and Territories series is full of interesting facts about each Canadian province．
Going camping? How about taking along some scary stories to tell around the campfire? Alvin Schwarz’s collections of Scary Tales to Tell in the Dark are sure to make your spine tingle and your teeth chatter. For something a little less horrible, try Velcome: a Very Scary Book, by Kevin O’Malley, which includes such horrors as a plate of mixed vegetables!
Remember to lead by example and pack a book in your own beach bag. If children see you reading, they will understand that books are an important and valuable part of summer and they will begin to copy your habits!
The staff at the Calgary Public Library are always happy to help find that perfect summer read, so stop by your nearest branch, call us at 260-2600, or visit our website at calgarypubliclibrary. com today．What can we infer from the second paragraph of the passage?
| A．Summer is the only time for children to relax themselves． |
| B．Children have little time to read what they choose at school． |
| C．Children usually get bored of reading during the school year. |
| D．Required reading prepares children to go back to school in the fall． |
If you want your children to have a good knowledge of Canada before a trip, youhad better refer to _________.
| A．All about Provinces and Territories |
| B．Scary Tales to Tell in the Dark |
| C．Velcome: a Very Scary Book |
| D．A Children’s Atlas |
What’s the probable meaning of the underlined part “to make your spine tingle andyour teeth chatter” in Paragraph 4?
| A．To interest you and impress you. |
| B．To excite you and frighten you. |
| C．To embarrass you and annoy you. |
| D．To discourage you and disgust you. |
You should take a book with you to _________.
| A．save your own time |
| B．enjoy your summer holiday |
| C．set a good example to your children |
| D．follow your children’s good habits |
Finally, I entered the university. Because of my careful savings, I did not have to work during the school year. Then, summer came and it was time to work harder than ever. I continued working as a waitress at night, instructed tennis camps several mornings a week and worked as a secretary for a few hours in the afternoons. I even decided to take a class at a community (社区) college. This class at the community college saved me $650. It was an extremely tiring summer and made me anxious to return to my relatively easy life at the university.
During my second and third years of undergraduate schooling, I decided to work about five hours per week in the campus (校园) admissions office answering phones. This provided a little spending money and kept me from drawing my savings out. I wanted to go to Israel to study for 3 weeks, but I hesitated in making this decision because it would cost me $1,600 more to get the credits in Israel. About two weeks later my Mom called to tell me that I had $1,600 in the bank that I had forgotten about! One of my concerns about this trip was not only the cost, but the loss of time to make money; however, I made as much that summer in the ten weeks when I was at home as I had made during the fourteen weeks when I was at home the summer before. The way everything worked together to make this trip possible was one of the most exciting things that have ever happened to me.
This experience has shaped me in many important ways. The first thing that I learned was the importance of a strong work ethic (伦理). Working long hours did a lot to develop my character and helped me learn the value of a dollar. It also made me learn how to search for creative ways to settle difficult situations.Where did the writer probably work part-time before attending the university?
| A．In a restaurant. |
| B．In the tennis camps. |
| C．In a company. |
| D．In the admissions office. |
The writer took a class at a community college mainly because _________.
| A．she wanted to save money |
| B．life there was relatively easy |
| C．summer time was tiring |
| D．it was required by the university |
The writer’s major concern about the trip to Israel was that _________.
| A．her mother would not agree |
| B．she would fail to get credits in Israel |
| C．a well-paid summer job would be lost |
| D．$1,600 couldn’t be drawn out in time |
The passage is mainly about how the writer _________.
| A．made money on the college campus |
| B．managed to make full use of her vacation |
| C．was forced to support herself by her mother |
| D．was shaped by working part-time through college |
Q: I currently entered college in New York. Since English is not my first language, I sometimes ask a friend to read my essays to help fix the grammar and language. I believe I'm being graded mainly on my ideas, and my friend helps me get my ideas across better in English. Is this OK?
-Mariana
A: It's good that you want to succeed in your written work at college. Making use of available resources to help you succeed is a smart strategy (策略). But while you may believe that your instructors don't care as much about how you write as they do about your ideas, that' s not a fair assumption.
Certainly, your ideas are important. No matter how polished your writing is, it will not disguise a poorly expressed idea in a paper. But as a college student, being able to organize your thoughts clearly-whether you're speaking in class or writing a paper-is critical to show that you've mastered the material in each course. This does not mean you shouldn't ask others to review your written work before handing it in. That's OK.
You should not, however, allow a friend or anyone else to rewrite parts of your papers for you. Instead, ask them to simply let you know about any parts of the paper that are unclear and need work. Many colleges have writing centers where tutors will work with you on your writing-without doing the work for you.
Regardless of whether you consult with a friend or a tutor, the right thing is for you to talk to your instructors to ask their advice and let them know you plan to seek assistance with your writing. If you ask them in advance for guidance on what's appropriate and what's not for the written work they assign, that will allow you to be as transparent as possible about how you completed your assignments.
-Professor ByronWhat problem does Mariana meet?
| A．She has trouble learning English grammar. |
| B．She wonders if her method on writing is suitable. |
| C．She doesn't get on well with her classmates. |
| D．She isn't able to express herself in English. |
According to Pro. Byron, what's the most important in writing a paper?
| A．Professional advice. | B．Polishing carefully. |
| C．Organizing thoughts. | D．Familiar materials. |
When asking someone for help on your paper, you should ask him ______.
| A．to hand in the paper after reading it |
| B．to write the difficult part for you |
| C．to make a writing. plan for you |
| D．to tell you the part to be improved |
What does the underlined word refer to in the text?
| A．Essays. | B．Courses. |
| C．Ideas. | D．Resources. |
Selfies (自拍) have become an increasingly common way to capture memorable moments. When it comes to taking selfies , knowing the following tips can directly affect the quality of your final product. .
The use of light is vital to improving image quality. Lights can help avoid shadows and create soft features on your face, so turn your face toward the main light. source. If you want to be creative, play with light angles by turning your body, but make sure the photo is properly exposed and your face is lit from the front or the side. Besides, avoid taking selfies against the main light source or with overhead lighting. Additionally, natural light possesses a warmth that makes you look like you're glowing.
When taking selfies, angles also matter a lot. Hold the camera away from your face, and try to take photos both horizontally and vertically. If not, your face might look bigger than usual. Ideally, the universal selfie angle is 45 degrees above your head. But you should study your face at different angles because finding your best angle requires you having seen all of them.
One problem with selfies is that most have distracting backgrounds. You can always do more to show others your best side. Try to simplify the background by taking selfies outdoors or in spacious areas. Document yourself engaging in interesting activities-hiking with family members, visiting landmarks, or working out with friends. At least, you can make the photo appealing by getting rid of your outstretched arm or a background that's too busy.
You can also download some photo apps that allow you to adjust the lighting and contrast. Some apps offer useful filters, which can change your skin tone and eliminate pimples (粉刺) on your face.To get an image of high quality, you need to _______.
| A．be under the light source |
| B．be against the main light |
| C．face the main light source |
| D．have the photo fully exposed |
How can you find the angle that suits you most?
| A．Study your face at different angles. |
| B．Hold the camera far enough from you. |
| C．Keep the camera lower than your face. |
| D．Place the camera 45 degrees above your head. |
Which of the following should be avoided when taking selfies?
| A．The use of natural light. |
| B．A landmark as a background. |
| C．Changes of the skin tone. |
| D．A busy background. |
The sharing economy has grown in recent years to include everything from apartment' sharing to car sharing to community tool sharing. Since 2009, a new form of sharing economy has been emerging in neighborhoods throughout the US and around the world-Little Free Library. The libraries are boxes placed in neighborhoods from which residents can withdraw and deposit books. Little Free Libraries come in all shapes and sizes. Some libraries also have themes, focusing on books for children, adults, or tour guides.
In 2009. Tod Bol built the first Little Free Library as a gift to his mother, who was a devoted reader. When he saw the people of his community gathering around it, exchanging conversation as well as books, he knew he wanted to take his simple idea further. "I think Little Free Libraries open the door to conversations we want to have with each other," Bol said. .
Since then, his idea has become a movement, spreading from state to state and country to country. According to Little FreeLibrary.org, there are now 18,000 0f the little structures around the world, located in each of the 50 US states and 70 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia.
The Internet has helped to spread Little Free Libraries. But an Atlantic article says the little, structures serve as a cure for a world of e-reader downloads . The little wooden boxes are refreshingly physical and human. For many people, the sense of discovery is Little Free Libraries' main appeal. "A girl walking home from school might pick up a graphic novel that gets her excited about reading; a man on his way to the bus stop might find a volume of poetry that changes his outlook on life," says the Atlantic article. "Every book is a potential source of inspiration "How do Little Free Libraries get their books?
| A．Citizens shared them. | B．Tod Bol donated them. |
| C．US government provided them. | D．The communities bought them. |
Why did Tod Bol want to build more Little Free Libraries?
| A．He wanted to promote his idea worldwide. |
| B．He was inspired by the sharing economy. |
| C．They can offer neighbors more chances to talk. |
| D．They are a gift to please his mother. |
What does the author of the Atlantic article believe?
| A．The Internet has helped to spread Little Free Libraries. |
| B．Little Free Libraries are physical and human. |
| C．E-reader downloads are undoubtedly beneficial. |
| D．Little Free Libraries are more popular than e-reader downloads. |
Little Free Libraries attract readers most in that ______.
| A．they connect strangers together |
| B．they are located all over the world |
| C．they are in various shapes and sizes |
| D．they may give readers a sense of discovery |