For 99% of human history, people took their food from the world around them. They ate all that they could find, and then moved on. Then around 10,000 years ago, about 1% of human history, people learned to farm the land.
The kind of food we eat depends on which part of the world we live in, or which part of our country we live in. For example, in the south of China they eat rice, but in the north they eat noodles. In European countries near the sea, people eat a lot of fish. In central Europe, away from the sea, people don’t eat so much fish, but they eat more meat. For example, in Germany and Poland, there are hundreds of different kinds of sausages.
In North America, Australia, and Europe, people eat with knives and forks. In China, people eat with chopsticks. In parts of India and the Middle East, people use their fingers to pick up food.
Nowadays it is possible to transport food easily from one part of the world to another. We can eat whatever we like, at any time of the year. In Britain, bananas come from Africa; rice comes from India or the U.S.A.; strawberries come from Chile or Spain. Food is a very big business. But people in poor countries are still hungry while people in rich countries eat too much.10,000 years ago, people ______ .
A.learned to farm the land |
B.cooked different kinds of food |
C.couldn’t find food around them |
D.transported food from one country to another |
In North America, Australia, and Europe, people ______ .
A.eat with chopsticks | B.eat with knives and forks |
C.use their fingers to pick up food | D.use bread to pick up food |
______ have many kinds of sausages.
A.Chile and Spain | B.America and Australia |
C.China and Japan | D.Germany and Poland |
Which of the following is NOT true?
A.What we eat depends on where we live. |
B.Poor countries are still having food problems. |
C.Rich countries don’t need food from others. |
D.Nowadays we can eat whatever we like at any time of the year. |
The human population on Earth grows larger each year. As a result, ___(1)___. Because of climate change(气候变化), growing more food is becoming even more difficult.
When farmers tried to grow more food in the past, they would use farming methods that weren’t always healthy for the environment. To solve this problem, ___(2)__. They spent several years talking to farmers. They wanted to see what problems farmers were having and how these problems could be solved. __(3)___. These special robots move around on farms and collect information about crops(庄稼). They can take pictures of plants, track(追踪)each plant’s growth and measure(测量)its size.
In the past, though farmers did have information about the weather and the earth, they couldn’t track each plant. __(4)__.
By collecting information about plants, the robots can help farmers make predictions(预测)about how their plants will grow. __(5)__. For example, if the robots find out which plants get sick, farmers can quickly throw them away before they are about to influence nearby plants. With the help of these robots, farmers can take better care of the plants in need.
A. |
But now, with these robots, they can |
B. |
This led to the creation of special robots |
C. |
some scientists carried out a research project |
D. |
more and more food needs to be grown in order to feed everyone |
E. |
By studying each plant, the robots can also help farmers grow plants well |
Otters(水獭)are cute water animals. These days, keeping otters as pets is getting popular. In Japan, some “otter cafés(咖啡馆)” are open for business. People can pay to play with the otters there and to take photos with them. In Indonesia, people go swimming with their pet otters and take funny videos. These photos and videos posted online have interested more people to buy otters as pets.
However, these enjoyable photos and videos hide the damage(损害)that the online trade is doing to otters. In fact, wild otters are facing many threats—they have long been hunted(猎杀)for their coats; in some places, fishermen have been killing otters in order to stop them from eating fish; and now, the online pet trade has become another big problem for otters.
In the wild, baby otters usually stay with their mothers during their first year of life. According to a report, 70% of the otters sold online are under one year old. These baby otters have been stolen from their mothers. When they are kept as pets by humans, they do not live full and natural lives.
Otters are very social. They live in family groups of up to 15 in the wild. Keeping an otter as a pet can make it very sad and lonely. These animals also need enough space to swim. Their owners’ bathtubs(浴缸)or pools are nowhere near as large as the bodies of water in the wild.
On the other hand, otters simply don’t make good pets. They have a very special fishy smell. If they are kept indoors, they will leave a lot of waste around the house. This would make the smell even more unpleasant. Besides, when otters are unhappy, they will make loud noises and even attack(攻击)people. If a person is hurt by an otter, he or she needs to go to hospital at once.
So, we should stop the otter pet trade and never share photos and videos about them online.
(1). What does Paragraph 1 mainly talk about?
A. |
The ways of buying otters online. |
B. |
The advantages of playing with otters. |
C. |
The popularity of keeping otters as pets. |
(2). What does the underlined word “threats” mean in Paragraph 2?
A. |
机遇 |
B. |
威胁 |
C. |
选择 |
(3). What do we know about otters in the wild?
A. |
They live in family groups of up to 15. |
B. |
They don’t need enough space to swim. |
C. |
Baby otters never stay with their mothers. |
(4). Why don’t otters make good pets?
a. They may attack people.
b. They may make loud noises.
c. They have a special fishy smell.
d. They need to go to hospital often.
A. |
a, b, c |
B. |
a, b, d |
C. |
b, c, d |
(5). What is the writer’s main purpose of writing the text?
A. |
To tell people the otters’ living habits. |
B. |
To teach people how to keep a pet otter. |
C. |
To call on people to stop the otter pet trade. |
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is one of the great works by Mark Twain. The book is so interesting. Even today, it is quite popular among kids. Although I am in my thirties, the book remains one of my favorites. After re-reading the book recently, I have learned an important lesson from Tom Sawyer.
In our daily lives, we are often given some boring or tiring tasks. What’s in your mind when your mom tells you to clean the floor? Have you ever wanted to complain(抱怨)? I think most people have.
Tom Sawyer, however, thought “differently” when he was given a boring task. One Saturday morning, Aunt Polly told Tom to paint the fence(篱笆). Tom’s friend Ben Rogers happened to walk past. Instead of complaining, Tom told Ben that he felt “excited” about the task. “Only one in a thousand—maybe even two thousand boys can do this!” Tom said.
Tom’s words made Ben interested in the task. He even gave Tom his apple so that he could have a chance to paint the fence. If Tom had thought about nothing but complaining, he would have had a bad day painting the fence.
This story teaches me a valuable lesson: Complaining is useless. The next time you are given a boring or tiring task, don’t complain. Unlike what happens in the story of Tom Sawyer, it is unlikely that someone will come and do the work for you. However, without complaining, you’ll feel better and perhaps even do a better job!
(1). Who is the writer of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer?
A. |
Aunt Polly. |
B. |
Mark Twain. |
C. |
Ben Rogers. |
(2). According to the writer, what is most people’s immediate reaction(即时反应)to a boring task?
A. |
Complaining about it. |
B. |
Accepting it. |
C. |
Refusing it. |
(3). What did Aunt Polly ask Tom to do in this text?
A. |
Visit Ben. |
B. |
Clean the floor. |
C. |
Paint the fence. |
(4). Why did Tom say the underlined sentence to Ben in Paragraph 3?
A. |
To express his sadness. |
B. |
To catch Ben’s interest. |
C. |
To show his anger. |
(5). What does the writer learn from Tom Sawyer?
A. |
It is no use complaining. |
B. |
Refusing is the best choice. |
C. |
Waiting is the only way out. |
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Lost I lost my smartphone at West Park on Loomis Road on Monday morning, Oct. 27. The photos in it haven’t been uploaded(上传)to the Cloud. They are very important to me. Please call me at 730-8607. —posted by Steve Lee |
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Found A young black dog, cute and friendly, was found in Brooklyn Springs on Nov. 19. If you know the owner of this dog, please let him/her know or e-mail me at dorajones@abcmail.com. —posted by Dora Jones |
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Lost My 11-month-old cat Linda is grey with dark stripes(条纹)on her back. She has brown eyes. She was last seen at Jessica’s on Center Street on May 9. If you see her, please call me at 730-9725. —posted by Molly Louis |
(1). Who lost a smartphone?
A. |
Dora Jones. |
B. |
Molly Louis. |
C. |
Steve Lee. |
(2). Why did Dora post the information?
A. |
To find the dog’s owner. |
B. |
To find her own dog. |
C. |
To buy a black dog. |
(3). What do we know about the missing cat Linda?
A. |
She is 10 months old. |
B. |
She was last seen on May 9. |
C. |
She is all black. |
English Reading Salon(沙龙) ● Johnson Library Room 208 ● Read |Talk| Have free tea ● Thursday, June 30(7:00 p.m.~8:30 p.m.) ● Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe For more information, you can visit www.englishreadingsalon.com |
(1). How long will the salon last?
A. |
60 minutes. |
B. |
90 minutes. |
C. |
120 minutes. |
(2). What can you do for free at the salon?
A. |
Eat cookies. |
B. |
Have dinner. |
C. |
Drink tea. |