Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan sees an epidemic (流行病) sweeping across America’s farmland. It has little to do with the usual challenges, such as flood, rising fuel prices and crop-eating insects. The country’s farmers are getting older, and there are fewer people standing in line to take their place. National agricultural census (普查) figures show that the fastest-growing group of farmers is the part over 65. Merrigan is afraid the average age will be even higher when the 2012 statistics are completed.
Merrigan, a former college professor, is making stops at universities across the country in hopes of encouraging more students to think about careers in agriculture. Aside from trying to stop the graying of America’s farmers, her work is made tougher by a recent blog posting that put agriculture at No. 1 on a list of “useless” college degrees. Top federal agriculture officials are talking about the posting, and it has the attention of agricultural organizations across the country.
“There couldn’t be anything that’s more incorrect,” Merrigan said. “We know that there aren’t enough qualified graduates to fill the jobs that are out there in American agriculture.”
In addition, a growing world population that some experts predict will require 70% more food production by 2050, she said.
“I truly believe we’re at a golden age of agriculture. Global demand is at an all-time record high, and global supplies are at all-time record lows,” said Matt Rush, director of the Texas Farm Bureau. “Production costs are going to be valuable enough that younger people are going to have the opportunity to be involved in agriculture. “
The Department of Agriculture has programs aimed at developing more farmers and at increasing interest in locally grown food. The National Young Farmers’ Coalition has also been pushing for state and federal policy changes to make it easier for new farmers.
Ryan Best, president of Future Farmers of America, has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the country and visiting with high school students about careers in agriculture. The 21-year-old Best hopes his message --that this is a new time in agriculture-- will motivate the next generation to turn around the statistics. “Never before have we had the innovations (创新) in technology which have led to agriculture in this country being the most efficient it has ever been,” he said. “There’s really a place for everybody to fit in. “ What is the new challenge to American agriculture?
| A．Fewer and older farmers. | B．Higher fuel prices. |
| C．More natural disasters. | D．Lower agricultural output. |
Why is Merrigan visiting universities across the country?
| A．To draw federal agriculture officials’ attention. |
| B．To select qualified agriculture graduates. |
| C．To clarify a recent blog posting. |
| D．To talk more students into farming careers. |
According to Matt Rush, American agriculture will provide opportunities for younger people because ________.
| A．the government will cover production costs |
| B．global food supplies will be even lower |
| C．investment in agriculture will be profitable |
| D．America will increase its food export |
What do the underlined words “to turn around the statistics” in the last paragraph mean?
| A．To re-analyze the result of the national census. |
| B．To increase agricultural production. |
| C．To bring down the average age of farmers. |
| D．To invest more in agriculture. |
Two traveling angels(天使) stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the guest room. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied: “Things aren’t always what they seem.”
The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor but very hospitable(好客的)farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night’s rest. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their only income, lay dead in the field.
The younger angel was very angry and asked the older angel, “How could this happen? Why didn’t you watch out for the cow? The first man had everything, yet you watched over his house,” she accused. “The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you did not help.”
“Things aren’t always what they seem,” the older angel replied. “When we stayed in the basement, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so greedy and unwilling to share his good fortune, I asked God if I could seal(封口)the wall so he couldn’t find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmer’s bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I asked God if the angel could take the cow instead. Things aren’t always what they seem.”Why did the older angel repair the hole for the rich family?
| A．Because the basement was too cold to stay in. |
| B．Because she wanted to save the gold for the poor. |
| C．Because she wanted to punish the greedy owner. |
| D．Because she believed that one should always be ready to offer help. |
In paragraph two, the pair refers to __________.
| A．the poor couple | B．the rich couple |
| C．the guests | D．the angels |
The younger angel was very angry because __________.
| A．the older angel killed the farmer’s cow |
| B．the older angel treated the two families unfairly |
| C．the wealthy man gave them a bad place to live |
| D．the angel of death took the cow away |
The story tries to tell the reader that ___________.
| A．sometimes things are not what they seem |
| B．angels are always ready to help the poor |
| C．angels are always ready to help the rich |
| D．the young should always learn from the old. |
Run Freely ——A Lesson about Courage
One afternoon, many years ago，I went to pick up my mother from work. I got there a little early so I the car by the roadside and waited for her.
As I looked the car window, there was a small park where I saw a little boy, around one and a half to two years old, freely on the grass as his mother watched from a short .The boy had a big smile on his face he had just been set free from a .The boy would then fall to the grass, get up, and without or looking back at his mother, run as fast as he could, again ,still with a on his face, as if nothing had happened.
Kids, when they fall down, they don’t consider their falling down as a failure, but , they treat it as a learning experience. They feel inspired to try and try again until they .
Not only was I impressed by the boy’s courage, but I was touched by the manner in which he ran. With each attempt, he looked so , so natural, without signs of fear, nervousness, or of being disappointed. His only was to run freely and to do it as effectively as he could. He was just being a , just being himself. He was not looking for or worrying about whether was watching. He wasn’t concerned about being judged. He didn’t seem to be bothered(困扰) by the fact that maybe someone would see him and that it would be if he did fall. No, all that to him was to complete the task of activity at hand to the best of his ability, feeling the experience of running fully and freely.
I learned a lot from that observation and , and have successfully brought that lesson with me in life.
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As many as 4 out of every 1,000 infants born today have permanent hearing loss. When parents learn that their child has hearing loss, they are faced with many difficult decisions. These decisions can include choosing therapies and schools, as well as finding financial help for hearing aids or cochlear implants (人工耳蜗).
Help Me Hear Foundation is a public charity that gives the gift of hearing to deaf children from families existing on very low incomes around the world.
Help Me Hear Foundation believes that a child’s first years of development are critical. Being able to hear is vital to human, and Help Me Hear Foundation seeks to provide a positive lasting impression on society through its programs.
Recipients(受助人) of Help Me Hear Foundation’s benefits receive state-of-the-art hearing devices that otherwise would cost thousands of dollars per child over the course of their lifetime. The Foundation raises money through donations for hearing aids and cochlear implants, which saves recipients and their families on average over $50,000 on related expenses.
The Foundation tries to be a transparent charity, and wants to be a catalyst for allowing deaf and hearing-impaired children to develop in a typical fashion alongside their peers.
Needy families can obtain information on specific services, and find out about deafness education by visiting the Help Me Hear Foundation’s website. The website offers helpful information on how hearing aids work, and how hearing aids ease many of the learning and language challenges that hearing-impaired children deal with on a daily basis.Help Me Hear Foundation was probably set up to _____.
| A．build schools for deaf children |
| B．research deaf children’s behavior |
| C．protect deaf children from being ignored |
| D．offer real help to poor deaf children |
We learn from the text that _____.
| A．the local government is in charge of the foundation |
| B．the work of the foundation depends on donations |
| C．even blind children can turn to the foundation |
| D．poor deaf African children cannot get help from the foundation |
For whom is the text most probably written?
| A．Poor parents who have deaf children. |
| B．Doctors who want to improve skills. |
| C．Students who cannot see the blackboard clearly. |
| D．Teachers who have deaf children in their class. |
The author writes the text mainly to _____.
| A．tell how to avoid permanent hearing loss |
| B．explain how hard a life deaf children live |
| C．introduce Help Me Hear Foundation |
| D．advise people to give money to Help Me Hear Foundation |
The Human Genome Project, a great $3 billion, 15-year task aimed at drawing the genetic map of humans, is now more than 90 percent completed. The scientific and medical communities are very excited about the chances genetic research provides for getting rid of diseases and prolonging human life. But those communities and policy makers are also careful about the scientific door they are opening as the project uncovers the mysteries of life.
For the last few years, the genetic advances in the fast developing field of biotechnology have provided material for all kinds of work, but the developments of modern science in unlocking the secrets of human genetic code have opened a world of possibilities for human health, as well as for the population imagination.
While European and Japanese researchers are making rapid progress in decoding human DNA, the leading organization for genetic research in the Untied States, which began in 1990, is “unlocking the code” of the human body to learn how to defeat fatal diseases. Already, the Human Genome Project has become widely known and praised for finding the genes connected with as yet terrible diseases, and making progress toward separating the genes that show a sign of breast cancer or AIDS.
Once these genes are found and studied, researchers can develop new ways to attack infections, and genetic diseases. Medical companies are very interested in mapping the human genome; as they expect to develop a lot of new drugs for these illnesses.Why did the scientists work so hard at mapping the human genome?
| A．Because the human genome can destroy many illnesses. |
| B．Because the genetic map’s completion can help to get rid of many diseases. |
| C．Because they wanted to be better known than others. |
| D．Because the Human Genome Project can provided a lot of chances of work. |
According to the passage, which of the following countries is the most advanced in genetic research?
| A．Japan | B．Germany | C．The United States | D．China |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．If the genes can be found, scientists can study many new ways to cure illnesses. |
| B．The United States began genetic research early in the 19th century. |
| C．Many medical companies show great interest in drawing the human genome map. |
| D．The scientists have made great progress in connecting some genes with the cancers. |
What is mainly talked about in this passage?
| A．The great human genome. | B．The discovery of genes. |
| C．Unlocking the genetic code. | D．Genes and scientists. |
Want to improve your writing skills? New Writing South is directing the way!
·Towner Writer Squad (班组）for kids aged 13-17
Led by comedy and TV writer, Marian Kilpatrick, Towner Writer Squad will meet once a month at the contemporary art museum for 11 months, starting 12 October, 2014.
The FREE squad sessions will include introductions to a wide range of writing styles, from poetry to play writing and lyrics (抒情诗) to flash fiction, to support the development of young writers.
Application & Selection
If you would like to apply to be part of the Towner Writer Squad, please send a sample piece of your writing (about 500 words), responding to the title‘LUNCH’with your name, age, address and e-mail address to: debo@newwritingsouth.com.
Once all applications are in, you will be invited to an open selection event on 17 September, 4-5pm, at the gallery of Towner. This will be an informal opportunity to meet the Squad Leader, Squad Associate and other young people.
You will also have a chance to get to know the fantastic gallery space and get a taste of what’s to come.
Deadline for applications: 8 September, 2014
For further information go to: facebook.com/towner or towner.org.uk or newwritingsouth.com
Any questions—feel free to send your e-mail to Towner Writer Squad Associate: whame@towner.gov.uk
·Beginner Writing Project for kids aged 10-13
Due to popular demand, a writing project will be started for eager beginners.
Start time: 6 September, 2014
Meet every other Saturday, 2-4pm, at the Towner Study Centre.
Study and write at your own pace—you do not have to rush一as you have a year to go through the project. Practise under the guidance of some experienced writers and teachers who can help you with basic writing skills. Most importantly, build confidence and have fun while writing!
No previous experience or special background is required. Many others have been successful this way. If they can do it, why can’t you?
Fee: £179
For more information go to: newtowner.org.uk or generate.org.ukTowner Writer Squad will be started _______.
| A．to train comedy and TV writers |
| B．to explore the fantastic gallery space |
| C．to introduce a contemporary art museum |
| D．to promote the development of young writers |
To join the Writer Squad, each applicant should first _______.
| A．provide a piece of their writing |
| B．meet the Writer Squad Leader |
| C．offer their family information |
| D．complete an application form |
Applications for the Writer Squad should be e-mailed no later than _______.
| A．6 September, 2014 |
| B．8 September, 2014 |
| C．17 September, 2014 |
| D．12 October, 2014 |
What is most important for the beginners?
| A．Practising as much as possible. |
| B．Gaining confidence and having fun. |
| C．Studying and writing at their own pace. |
| D．Learning skills from writers and teachers. |