With the average temperature for January standing at -50℃, it is no wonder the village is the coldest permanently inhabited settlement in the world. Known as the 'Pole of Cold', the coldest ever temperature recorded in Oymyakon was -71.2℃.
This is the lowest recorded temperature for any permanently inhabited location on Earth and the lowest temperature recorded in the Northern Hemisphere.
Ironically, Oymyakon actually means 'non-freezing water' due to a nearby hot spring. Most homes in Oymyakon still burn coal and wood for heat and enjoy few modern conveniences.
Nothing grows there so people eat reindeer meat and horse meat. A single shop provides the town's bare necessities and the locals work as reindeer-breeders, hunters and ice-fisherman.
Doctors say the reason the locals don't suffer from malnutrition is that their animals' milk contains a lot of micronutrients.
Unsurprisingly, locals are hardened to the weather and unlike in other countries— where a flurry of snow brings things grinding to a halt, Oymyakon's solitary school only shuts if temperatures fall below -52℃.
There are few modern conveniences in the village— with many buildings still having outdoor toilets - and most people still burn coal and wood for heat. When coal deliveries are irregular the power station starts burning wood. If the power ceases, the town shuts down in about five hours, and the pipes freeze and crack.
Daily problems that come with living in Oymyakon include pen ink freezing, glasses freezing to people's faces and batteries losing power. Locals are said to leave their cars running all day for fear of not being able to restart them.
Even if there was coverage for mobile phone reception the phones themselves would not work in such cold conditions.
Another problem caused by the frozen temperatures is burying dead bodies, which can take anything up to three days. The earth must first have melted sufficiently in order to dig it, so a bonfire is lit for a couple of hours. Hot coals are then pushed to the side and a hole couple of inches deep is dug. The process is repeated for several days until the hole is deep enough to bury the coffin.
Travel companies offer tourists the opportunity to visit the village and sample life in the freezing conditions.
Which of the following statements about this village is true?
A.Local children don’t go to school because of the extreme cold. |
B.People there live a hard and simple life with few modern conveniences. |
C.People there have a healthy and balanced diets by eating vegetables and meat. |
D.The name of this village— Oymyakon suggests that it’s extremely cold here. |
The sentence “If you thought it was cold where you are at the moment then a visit to the Russian village of Oymyakon might just change your mind.” can be put .
A.before the first paragraph |
B.after the first paragraph |
C.after the sixth paragraph |
D.before the last paragraph |
What does the underlined phrase “grinding to a halt” probably mean in this passage?
A.stopping | B.growing | C.continuing | D.failing |
What is the purpose of writing this passage?
A.To attract more people to visit this village. |
B.To inform readers of this special village. |
C.To help solve problems facing the village。 |
D.To draw readers’ attention to poor people. |
British potato farmers were angry and wanted the expression “couch potato” to be taken out of the dictionary because it harmed the vegetable’s image.
The British Potato Council wants the Oxford English Dictionary to replace the expression with the term “couch slouch”, with protests being outside Parliament in London and the offices of Oxford University Press.
Kathryn Race, head of marketing at the Council, which represents some 4,000 planters and processors, said the group had complained in writing to the OED but had yet to receive a response.
“We are trying to get rid of the image that potatoes are bad for you,” she said on Monday.
“The potato has had its knocks in the past. Of course it is not the Oxford English Dictionary’s fault but we want to use another term instead of “couch potato” because potatoes are naturally healthy.”
The OED says that “couch potato” began as American slang, meaning “a person who spends his or her leisure time sitting around, especially watching television or video tapes.”
The Potato Council says its campaign is backed by dieticians (饮食学家) who say the vegetable is low in fat and high in vitamin C.
Supporting the campaign, famous cook Antony Worrall Thompson said the vegetable was one of Britain’s favorite foods.
“Not only are they healthy, they are also convenient and yummy (美味). Life without potato is like a sandwich without a filling,” he said.
John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, said the dictionary first included the term “couch potato” in 1993 and said “dictionaries just reflect the words that society uses.”
Simpson said words were never taken out of the full-length dictionary, which includes some 650,000 words in 20 volumes.
But little-used words can be removed from the smaller dictionaries to make way for newer ones.
“If society stops using words then they get taken out of the smaller dictionaries,” he added.
The first known recorded use of the expression “couch potato” was in an article in Los Angeles Times, in 1979, Simpson said.
Nigel Evans, a member of Parliament for the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, has made a motion in support of the campaign, highlighting the nutritional value of the British potato.British potato farmers wanted to _________.
A.advertise their produces |
B.call for a higher price for their potatoes |
C.remove the expression “couch potato” from the dictionary |
D.let people know how important the potato is in people’s lives |
The farmers think that _________.
A.potatoes have had a bad image |
B.Potatoes are good for people by nature |
C.potatoes sometimes do harm to people |
D.it’s the dictionary’s fault to use the expression “couch potato” |
John Simpson thinks that _________.
A.the expression can be taken out of every kind of dictionary |
B.dictionaries do not necessarily reflect the words the society uses |
C.little-used words can remain in the smaller dictionaries |
D.it is impossible for them to take the expression out of the dictionary |
What is wrong with the expression “couch potato” according to the farmers in this passage?
A.It is connected with unfavorable meaning. |
B.Potato should be used in the expression. |
C.It is borrowed from America English. |
D.It refers to a kind of person. |
During my elementary school years, I used to compare my mom with my best friend Tiffany's mom.
Tiffany's mom always gave her lots of money to buy the most fashionable clothes and favorite food. Her mom allowed her to do anything she liked. I really admired Tiffany. My mom didn't give me much pocket money and she always told me that I should behave myself. I was annoyed with her.
Whenever I didn't get what I wanted, I would complain to my mom, Tiffany's mom would give her that! I wish she were my mom. "Every time, my morn would calmly say "Poor Tiffany". I couldn't understand her. "She shouldn't be feeling sorry for Tiffany!" I thought. "She should be feeling sorry for me."
One day, I couldn't help saying to Mom, "Poor Tiffany? Lucky Tiffany! She gets everything she wants! Why do you feel sorry for her? " I burst into tears.
My mom sat down next to me and said softly. "Yes, I do feel sorry for her. I have been teaching you a lesson that she will never be taught. "
I looked up at her. "What are you talking about?"
Mom said with care, "One day she will really want something. Maybe she'll find out that she can't have it. Her mother won't always be around to give her money, and what's more, money can't buy everything. "
She continued, "I have taught you valuable lessons by not giving you everything you want. You'll know how to look for bargains and save money, but she won't. You'll understand that you need to work hard to get the things that you want but she won't. When Tiffany is a grown woman, she'll wake up one day and she will be wishing that she had a mom like the one you've got. Life lessons are more important than modern clothes and delicious food. "
It took some time, but I eventually understood my mom's words. Now I am a happy and successful woman.During the author's elementary school years, she.
A.wished that her mom were as good as Tiffany's |
B.went to school with Tiffany every day |
C.usually compared her lesson with Tiffany's |
D.sometimes gave lots of money to Tiffany |
Why did the author's mom always say "Poor Tiffany"?
A.She felt sorry for Tiffany because Tiffany was poor. |
B.She wanted to tell a lie to comfort the author. |
C.She thought that Tiffany was spoiled by her mother. |
D.She told the author this and wanted her to help Tiffany. |
What do we learn about the author's mother?
A.She was strict and taught the author to be independent. |
B.She cared for other people's children more than her own. |
C.She thought that life lessons were as important as money. |
D.She was so poor that she couldn't give the author much money. |
What can we infer from the passage?
A.The author was quite annoyed with her mother in the past. |
B.The author's mother felt sorry for Tiffany. |
C.Tiffany's mother took the author's mother's advice. |
D.The author is thankful to her mother now. |
LONDON (Reuters Life!) ---- Forget about talking your children into considering life as a doctor or a teacher and start training them for the talent show.
A survey of British parents showed the aspirations (志向) of their children are greatly different from what they dreamed about when considering who they wanted to be when they grew up.
Although astronaut (宇航员) still remains fairly high on the list of careers (事业) kids dream about these days, others like doctor and teacher have been taken the place of by the desire (欲望) to win good name and money as a sporting hero, pop star or actor.
The parents of children aged 5 to 11 said the choice of lawyer had dropped by only one place on a top 10 list to sixth, while teacher had dropped to ninth from top in the last 25 or more years.
The survey for British TV channel “Watch” found a great difference between the genders (性别) of today’s young people when compared with their parents’ dreams 25 years or more ago.
Playing professional football, being an astronaut and joining the firefighting service topped the boys’ choices, while girls are more likely to be dreaming of taking to the stage as a pop star or actress or joining the medical profession.
When asked what they would like their children to do for a living, today’s parents still like the academic (学术的) professions (职业), with law and medicine scoring highly, while being a boss came third.
Parents also praised job happiness above wealth (财富) when it comes to their hopes for their children.
Nearly 70 percent of the parents surveyed thought that they failed to follow their dreams when it came to their career, with 37 percent thinking it was caused by a lack of aspiration and not having the necessary conditions.From the passage we know that most parents still hope that in the future their children can take up ______.
A.jobs such as musicians, singers and dancers |
B.jobs related to academic professions like lawyers and doctors |
C.jobs in which they will not be endangered |
D.jobs which will be well paid only |
According to the survey for British TV channel “Watch”, which of the following is the boys’ best career choice?
A.A pop star | B.An actor | C.A doctor | D.A firefighter |
What can be learnt from the passage?
A.Parents’ hope for their children’s career did not change too much. |
B.Parents pay much attention to the income of their children. |
C.Less than half of the parents who were surveyed didn’t follow their dreams. |
D.Most parents didn’t have the necessary conditions to realize their dreams. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Many reasons cause the change of children’s dreams. |
B.Parents’ dreams are different form children’s. |
C.Parents are changing their own dreams. |
D.Children’s dreams are always changing. |
The other day I heard a few local musicians talking:
"I hate all the pianos in this town and I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They cannot even understand rhythm (韵律)."
"Nobody wants to pay musicians anything. I’m sick of all the people who want you to play without paying you."
One younger musician said, "There are several clubs who want me to play for a few nights a month, and I’m trying to find other places to play. I’m also planning to join in several summer festivals this year."
I really liked what the younger musician said so I made friends with him.
Attitudes are important. Whether they’re positive (积极的) or negative (消极的), they’re all rubbing off on you. If you’re around people who are always complaining or blaming (责备) others, it is possible that you will start doing the same as well. If you spend lots of time with people who don’t support (支持) your dreams, it is time to take a look at the people you call "friends".
There is an easy exercise you can try. Make a list of the people who you often stay with, and simply stop spending time with the negative ones on your list. Set a new standard for yourself and don’t become friends with people who fall below that standard.
Of course, this exercise is entirely different from making friends only for the good of oneself. We really should try to help and spend time with those who are working towards a goal or dream.The musicians’ conversation at the beginning is there to show that ______.
A.musicians’ living conditions are not good |
B.people in that town have poor taste in music |
C.young people are more likely to succeed |
D.different people have different attitudes |
The underlined part "they’re all rubbing off on you" in Paragraph 6 means ______.
A.they’ll push you ahead |
B.they’ll help you realize your dreams |
C.they’ll keep you from moving on |
D.they’ll have an influence (影响) on you |
Why did the author want to make friends with the younger musician?
A.He is more active than the others. |
B.He can earn more than the others. |
C.His attitude is more positive than the others. |
D.He has more things to do than the others. |
We can get the following information from the passage EXCEPT ______.
A.the younger musician is a positive person and would be a good friend |
B.one should avoid (避免) making friends with people who have lots of difficulties |
C.the exercise can help you keep close to really helpful Friends |
D.one will start complaining if one spends too much time with negative people |
It’s summer movie time again. And heroes are ready to try their strength and magic on the silver screen. Check out our list of four films that look most promising to young audience.
Harry potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Release Date: June 4
Story: It’s the summer before Harry Potter’s third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A shadow is hanging over Hogwarts. A dangerous murderer, Sirius Black, has escaped the Wizards’ Prison. And he broke out to fulfill one task to kill Harry Potter.
Around the World in 80 Days
Release Date: June 16
Story: This version of the classic novel set in 1872 focuses on Passepartout ( Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan), a Chinese thief who seeks refuge with a strange London adventurer, Phileas Fogg. Passepartout uses his martial arts skills to defend Fogg from danger as he travels around the world in 80 days to win a bet.
Spider- Man 2
Release Date: June 30
Story: Peter Parker is still coming to terms with his dual (双重的) identity as the crime superhero Spider-Man. He wants to reveal his secret identity to Mary Jane: meanwhile, his aunt May has fallen on hard times. A new villain (坏人) , Dr Otto Octavius, has appeared to cause more trouble.
King Arther
Release Date: July 7
Story: King Arthur is presented as a clever ruler who manages to unite all the knights(骑士) in Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire(帝国). Under the guidance of Merlin and the beautiful, brave Guinevere, Arthur will struggle to realize his dreamsAccording to the passage, if you want to see a film whose leading actor is Jackie Chan, you will see the film on _____.
A.June 4 | B.June 16 | C.June 30 | D.July 7 |
In Spider-Man 2, Aunt May’s trouble is caused by_____.
A.Peter Parker | B.Mary Jane | C.Dr. Otto Octavius | D.Spider-Man |
Which of the following films is set in ancient Britain?
A.Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. | B.Spider-Man 2 |
C.Around the World in 80 Days. | D.King Arthur |