“Eat local．” It’s one way to reduce human effect on the planet．Eating local means to try to buy and consume foods that are grown in places close to home．However, most of the food sold at supermarkets is not locally grown or produced．Trucks and planes deliver these foods from hundreds or thousands of miles away．During the transportation, greenhouse gases are produced, causing global warming．So the shorter the distance your foods must travel, the less the harm is done to the environment．
But how do you get local food if you live in a large city, hundreds of miles away from farms？Environmental health scientist Dickson Despommier and his students came up with the idea of a “vertical farm”．
A vertical farm is a glass-walled structure that could be built as tall as a skyscraper．Since the garden is built upwards, rather than outwards, it requires much less space than an ordinary farm．The world is quickly running out of room for ordinary farming．Vertical farms could be a key to this situation．Despommier imagines a 30-story building with a greenhouse on every floor．The walls of the building would be clear, to allow crops to get as much sunlight as possible．Depending on a city’s water resources, Despommier thinks hydroponic（水培） farming is another method for the vertical farm which needs no soil to grow plants．
Despommier says the hydroponic greenhouses would use a system that would use a city’s waste water and fill it with nutrition to make the crops grow．If this method works, it would provide food to a city and save millions of tons of water．
The idea of a vertical farm has attracted the attention of government officials around the world．Scott Stringer, a government official from New York City, thinks the city is suitable for the vertical farming．“Obviously we don’t have much land left for us,” Stringer said, “But the sky is the limit in Manhattan．”
Despommier admits that there is still a lot of work to do to make vertical farms a reality．“But I think vertical farming is an idea that can work in a big way．” he says．Why are people advised to eat local?
| A．Because it means convenience to people． |
| B．Because it can help people save a lot of money． |
| C．Because local food has more nutrition． |
| D．Because it is environmentally friendly． |
Which is one of the vertical farm’s benefits when compared with ordinary farming?
| A．It produces healthier food． |
| B．It does less harm to the cities． |
| C．It consumes more energy of the city． |
| D．It requires less transport costs． |
By saying “the sky is the limit in Manhattan”, Stringer means ________．
| A．people can make full use of vertical space of Manhattan |
| B．there is a limit for using empty land in Manhattan |
| C．the height of buildings in Manhattan is limited |
| D．Manhattan has a great potential for development |
What can we learn about the vertical farming in the passage?
| A．In a vertical farm, soil may not be needed to grow plants． |
| B．It has solved the problem of the food shortage in a big way． |
| C．It is a 30-story building with a greenhouse on every floor． |
| D．Crops are mainly grown in the rainwater in a vertical farm． |
The nation's largest group of pediatricians(小儿科医生) on Monday urged its members to “firmly oppose boxing for any child or adolescent.”
In a statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said thousands of boys and girls take part in the sport in North America, despite risks of serious brain and facial injuries. The group’s position was approved by some experts.
“There is very little one can do in order to increase the chance of having a healthy brain when you get old,” said Dr. Hans Forstl, who has studied boxing injuries.
“ One of the best things you can do is avoid boxing.” He said.
According to the new statement, published in the journal Pediatrics, information from Canada shows a rise in boxing injuries over the past decade.
Pat Russo, a retired police officer who runs a boxing gym in Brooklyn, New York, said injuries are rare in amateur boxing. After 26 years and training thousands of kids, he has seen just one split lip among his students.
“ If the gym is run properly, injuries are at an absolute minimum,” Russo said. “Football is ten times more dangerous. While tennis or football might also help kids gain confidence, boxing holds a special attraction for children in poor neighborhoods, because it allows them to act tough while in trouble.”
Dr. Robert Cantu, a surgeon (外科医生) at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts, said AAP’s attitude makes sense for upper-class and middle-class kids.
“ Clearly boxing is safer today than it was 20 or 30 years ago, but it is still a very risky activity,” he said.
“For kids in poor areas, however, the situation is different,” said Cantu. “ The most dangerous thing for the majority of people in boxing is just where they live. They are far safer in the ring (拳击场), even taking blows to the head, than they are out in the neighborhood.”The statement released by AAP was ___________.
| A．approved by Pat Russo |
| B．focused on professional boxing |
| C．based on Dr. Hans Forstl’s research |
| D．strongly against boxing for children |
What is Dr. Hans Forstl’s attitude towards boxing for children?
| A．Unconcerned | B．Supportive |
| C．Opposed | D．Neutral |
Pat Russo believes that boxing injuries are____________.
| A．still on the rise today |
| B．not a serious problem in his gym |
| C．not common in poor neighborhood |
| D．more dangerous than football injuries |
In the text, Dr. Robert Cantu expressed his concern about __________.
| A．brain injuries occurring in boxing matches |
| B．the development of boxing among children |
| C．the attitude of upper-class kids toward boxing |
| D．children’s security in poor neighborhood |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．The development of boxing gyms |
| B．Children’s risk of injury in boxing |
| C．The disadvantage of doing boxing |
| D．Measures to improve boxing safety |
Some time ago, I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn’t think there would be any difficulty in getting it mended, as there are a whole lot of antique shops near my home. So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception. I was quite wrong. The man wouldn't even look at my chair.
The second shop, though slightly more polite, was just the same, and the third and the fourth —so I decided that my approach must be wrong.
I went into the fifth shop with a plan in my mind. I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper, “Would you like to buy a chair?” He looked it over carefully and said, “Yes, not a bad chair. How much do you want for it, sir?” “Twenty pounds,” I said. “OK,” he said, “I’ll give you twenty pounds.” “It’s got a slightly broken leg,” I said. “Yes, I saw that; it's nothing.”
Everything was going according to plan and I was getting excited. “What will you do with it?” I asked. “Oh, it will be easy to sell once the repair is done.” “I'll buy it,” I said. “What do you mean？You’ve just sold it to me,” he said. “Yes, I know but I’ve changed my mind. I'm sorry; I'll give you twenty-seven pounds for it. ” “You must be crazy,” he said. Then, suddenly the penny dropped. “I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair. ” “You’re right,” I said. “And what would you have done if I had walked in and said, ‘Would you mend this chair for me?’” “I wouldn't have agreed to do it,” he said. “We don’t do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble. But I’ll mend this for you; shall we say for a fiver?” He was a very nice man and was greatly amusedby the whole thing.We can learn from the text that in the first shop the writer ________.
| A．was rather impolite |
| B．was warmly received |
| C．asked the shopkeeper to buy his chair |
| D．asked the shopkeeper to repair his chair |
The underlined word “approach” in the second paragraph means _____________.
| A．plan for dealing with thing |
| B．decision to sell things |
| C．idea of repairing things by himself |
| D．way of doing things |
The expression “ the penny dropped” in the last paragraph means the shopkeeper __________.
| A．changed his mind |
| B．accepted the offer |
| C．saw the writer’s purpose |
| D．decided to help the writer |
How much did the writer pay?
| A．£5 | B．£6 | C．£20 | D．£27 |
From the text, we can learn that the writer was____________.
| A．honest | B．careful |
| C．smart | D．funny |
Topic: “Enjoy Worldwide privileges with BOC cards” 5% cash rebate(折扣) from UnionPay credit card issued by Bank of China
Time: April 1, 2014 to February 28, 2015
Customer: Personal credit cards with card number starting with “62” and with the UnionPay logo on the card
Details：
Payments with business cards, corporate cards or transactions（交易）through third-party platform (PAYPAL, Alipay and the internet banking payment and Kuai payment supported by Alipay) are not eligible（合格的）for the promotion.
The promotion is applicable to online shopping payments to appointed business partners only, and all the transactions need to be completed via UnionPay online. Amazon (U.S.) personal credit cards with card number starting with “62” and with the UnionPay logo on the card are eligible for the promotion.
As the promotion has no pre-defined upper limit on the number of transactions, all transactions meeting the criteria above will enjoy the cash rebate. The value of eligible transactions will be the settlement amount in RMB according to the UnionPay system.
All single transactions of RMB 500 or more with payment made by UnionPay credit card issued by Bank of China (card number starting with ‘62’) via UnionPay online platform will enjoy a 5% cash rebate, capped at RMB 100 per card per month.
Cardholders will receive the cash rebate within 90 calendar days after every promotion period. If the cardholder has any questions on the amount of rebate, please contact Bank of China Credit Card Customer Care Hotline（4006695566）within 30 calendar days since receiving the rebate; if no question is raised within 30 calendar days, the bank with deem the client agreeable to the amount of rebate. The date of cash rebate arriving in client’s account could be later than the date described above due to force majeure that is not unforeseeable.
Only transactions made with specified credit cards to appointed business partners will be eligible for the cash rebate promotion; in case of refund, no cash rebate will be made. At the same time, Bank of China reserve the right to recall any unqualified cash rebate already made.
Cardholders will need to ensure no late payment, card freeze or other abnormal occasions during the promotion period, otherwise the cardholder will not be eligible for the promotion.
Income tax associated with the cash rebate will be taken care of by the cardholder. Cardholders hold the responsibility to declare the income and settle the tax payment.Which of the following cards can get the cash rebate?
How much rebate can I get from a 500 dollars payment?
| A．About 5RMB | B．About 25 RMB |
| C．About 100 RMB | D．About 125 RMB |
In which of the following payment can we get the cash rebate?
| A．$60 for a sweater on Amazon. |
| B．$100 for a souvenir bought in the duty-free shop of LAX. |
| C．$200 for a child safety seat on Amazon. |
| D．$80 for a bottle of wine from a shop in Paris. |
We can learn from the passage that ___________.
| A．The cash rebate will arrive in our account within 30 calendar days. |
| B．We can’t get the cash rebate unless we pay the income tax associated. |
| C．Both the customers and Amazon(U.S.) will benefit from this promotion. |
| D．Any transactions of RMB 500 or more can get the cash rebate. |
I don’t ever want to talk about being a woman scientist again. There was a time in my life when people asked constantly for stories about what it’s like to work in a field dominated by men. I was never very good at telling those stories because truthfully I never found them interesting. What I do find interesting is the origin of the universe, the shape of space-time and the nature of black holes.
At 19, when I began studying astrophysics, it did not bother me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while earning my Ph.D. at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the issue started to bother me. My every achievement—jobs, research papers, awards—was viewed through the lens of gender (性别) politics. So were my failures. Sometimes, when I was pushed into an argument on left brain versus (相对于) right brain, or nature versus nurture (培育), I would instantly fight fiercely on my behalf and all womankind.
Then one day a few years ago, out of my mouth came a sentence that would eventually become my reply to any and all provocations: I don’t talk about that anymore. It took me 10 years to get back the confidence I had at 19 and to realize that I didn’t want to deal with gender issues. Why should curing sexism be yet another terrible burden on every female scientist? After all, I don’t study sociology or political theory.
Today I research and teach at Barnard, a women’s college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me how many of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer, 45. I know some of my students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children. And I don’t dismiss those concerns. Still, I don’t tell them “war” stories. Instead, I have given them this: the visual of their physics professor heavily pregnant doing physics experiments. And in turn they have given me the image of 45 women driven by a love of science. And that’s a sight worth talking about.Why doesn’t the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?
| A．She feels unhappy working in male-dominated fields. |
| B．She is fed up with the issue of gender discrimination. |
| C．She is not good at telling stories of the kind. |
| D．She finds space research more important |
From Paragraph 2, we can infer that people would owe the author’s failures to _____.
| A．the very fact that she is a woman |
| B．her involvement in gender politics |
| C．her over-confidence as a female astrophysicist |
| D．the burden she bears in a male-dominated society |
Why does the author feel great satisfaction when talking about her class?
| A．Female students no longer have to bother about gender issues. |
| B．Her students’ performance has brought back her confidence. |
| C．Her female students can do just as well as male students. |
| D．More female students are pursuing science than before. |
What does the image the author presents to her students suggest?
| A．Women students needn’t have the concerns of her generation. |
| B．Women have more barriers on their way to academic success. |
| C．Women can balance a career in science and having a family. |
| D．Women now have fewer problems pursuing a science career. |
The simple exercise of sitting down and standing up again without holding onto anything, could suggest how long you have to live. This is the belief of a group of physicians, who came up with the ‘sitting-rising test’ to measure their patients’ flexibility and strength. They developed a scoring system for the test and found that people who scored three points or less out of 10, were more than five times as likely to die within six years, as those who scored more than eight points.
Claudio Gil Araujo, of Gama Filho University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was among the doctors who originally developed the sitting rising test (SRT) to quickly assess the flexibility of athletes, but he now uses it to persuade his patients that they need to stay active to maintain their muscle and balance, and live longer, Discover Magazine reported.
As we age, our muscles tend to become weaker and a loss of balance means we are increasingly likely to fall. Current ways to test frailty can be time-consuming, impractical and inaccurate for small doctors’ surgeries, but experts are keen to keep older people moving. Dr Araujo says that anyone can take the SRT because no equipment is needed.
In a study, published in the European Journal of Cardiology, the researchers described how 2002 adults aged between 51 and 80 took the SRT at Clinimex Exercise Medicine Clinic in Rio. They found that patients who scored fewer than eight points out of 10 on the test, were twice as likely to die within the next six years, compared with people with more perfect scores.
One point was deducted each time a person used their hand or knee for support to either sit down or stand up, while half a point was deducted for losing their balance. The experts found that people who scored three points or fewer, were more than five times as likely to die within the same period. They wrote in the study: ‘Musculoskeletal fitness, as assessed by SRT, was a significant predictor of mortality in 51–80-year-old subjects.’ The study found that every point increase in the test, was linked to a 21 per cent decrease in mortality from all causes. However, chartered physio-therapist Sammy Margo said that the exercise may be “quite ambitious” for older people in the UK.The sitting-rising test was first designed ______.
| A．to suggest how long you have to live. |
| B．to assess the flexibility of athletes. |
| C．to measure their patients’ flexibility and strength. |
| D．to persuade his patients that they need to stay active to maintain their muscle and balance. |
What does the underlined word “mortality” probably mean in this passage?
| A．body balance | B．muscle strength |
| C．flexibility | D．length of one’s life |
What would the author most likely to talk about in the following paragraph?
| A．The reason why the test may not be accurate to British older people. |
| B．Another test that is more appropriate in some other cultures. |
| C．The different test results among old men and women. |
| D．The limitation and disadvantage of the sitting-rising test. |
Which part of the newspaper will the article probably come from?
| A．Exercise & sports | B．Education |
| C．Entertainment | D．Health |