The art of growing dwarf(矮小的)trees, or "bonsai"(盆栽)as their Japanese planters call them, is increasing in popularity in the United States. Growing bonsai can make a fascinating hobby for anyone who enjoys plants and creating beautiful effects with them.1.．
In growing bonsai, in fact, one must be careful in choosing the type of tree, as the growing conditions are unusual.2.．Varieties of pines with small needles and hardwood trunks are especially suitable.
3.This is necessary because the major growth of bonsai is kept confined(被限制) to the tree's trunk and leaves, not its root system-a process quite unlike what is done with other plants.
Another thing the bonsai-grower must do is to trim(修整)the roots and branches of the tree periodically (定期地). Unless this is done, the plants will not have the proper proportions(比例) and will look unnatural. 4.
The last thing one must do is to be careful to keep the tree well-watered. Because bonsai are grown in smaller-than-usual containers, they often need more water than ordinary houseplants do.
As can be seen from the above, the art of bonsai-growing is one which requires a certain amount of time and effort. 5.Imagine having such a tree in your living room and passing it down through several generations of your family. That is exactly what bonsai-growing is all about: establishing a tradition of beauty which lasts for years and years and is a symbol of the beauties of the natural world.
A. Then one must be careful in choosing the size of the container.
B. How can we meet the goal of making such a kind of art?
C. Why do so many people take a fancy to the art of bonsai-growing.
D. But one must get well prepared before starting bonsai-growing.
E. The satisfactions that growing bonsai brings can be great, however.
F. The ideal for bonsai plants are trees just like normal trees in everything but size.
G. Not all species of trees can be made into bonsai.
While the U.S. is still debating about getting rid of the penny, Sweden is rapidly moving towards abolishing currency(货币) altogether. Though this may sound radical(过激的), it is a natural evolution in this digital society.
Sweden, which was the first European country to introduce banknotes in 1661, has just been working harder to convince its residents that digital payments are a safer alternative to carrying cash.
Over the years, the idea has gained popularity with residents, especially the younger generation that is much more comfortable with technology. Today many banks don't even have ATMs and some have stopped handling cash altogether!
Tickets to ride public buses in most Swedish cities can only be purchased via cell phones. Numerous businesses are also moving towards accepting only digital payments. Even the homeless that sell street paper to make ends meet have to start accepting this mode of payment!
But despite its growing popularity, some people don't like this radical idea. They include the homeless, elderly people as well as those living in rural areas who are still uncomfortable with mobile phones and computers. But the officials are confident that in the very near future, they will be able to convince everyone to move this safe and more cost-effective payment system.
Sweden is not the only country trying to abolish paper currency and coins. The movement is rapidly gaining ground in Denmark and Finland as well. In 2014, Israel announced a three-step plan to go cashless and just last week the vendors(小贩)of a popular street in Sydney declared they would stop accepting currency from customers. Whether this phenomenon spreads remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure—With increasingly advanced payment systems being introduced every day, pulling out cash is rapidly becoming “uncool”.
1.What can we infer from Paragraph 3 and 4?
A. Many banks in Sweden don't have ATMs.
B. You don't have to buy tickets when riding buses.
C. People don't give the homeless money but food.
D. People can just take cell phones when shopping.
2.According to the passage, which information is RIGHT?
A. Sweden was the first country to get the idea to abolish currency.
B. The younger generation is opposed to the measures.
C. Bus fare can only be purchased via cell phones in most Swedish cities.
D. Banks in Sweden have stopped dealing with cash completely.
3.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. An Advanced Country –Sweden
B. A Controversial Government Policy
C. Sweden to Influence the World's Cash Payment
D. Sweden to Become the Cashless Society
4.Which of the following categories does this passage belong to?
A. Education. B. Economy.
C. Travel. D. Insurance.
Dr. Michael Prager, a leading Botox expert, said that a growing number of women are developing something called “computer face”. He also mentioned that professionals who worked long hours in front of a screen were ending up with saggy jowls(颚骨下垂),“turkey neck” and deep-set wrinkles(皱纹)on their forehead and around their eyes.
The Botox expert said that, of all his clients, office workers were most likely to show premature (过早的)signs of aging. “ If you are one of the unfortunate people who frown(皱眉)while you are concentrating on the screen then, over time, you will inevitably(不可避免地)end up with frown lines.'' Dr. Prager said. “What is perhaps more surprising is the number of women with saggy jowls because they are sitting in one position for so long. If you spend most of the time looking down then the neck muscles shorten and go saggy, eventually giving you a second neck.”
Dr. Prager, who has a practice near Harley Street in London, said he encourages his clients to put a mirror next to their computer so they can see if they are frowning at the screen. “When people are stressed or thinking hard about something, then they will often put on a grumpy(脾气暴躁的)face' without even knowing what they are doing. When my clients put a mirror next to their desk, they are often shocked by the angry, frowning face which stares back at them.”
He said, “The women I am seeing at the moment have only been using computers at work for the last decade or so. But women in their 20s have grown up with them and use them for every single task. I think the problem is going to become much, much worse. In another ten years, they could be looking quite awful.”
Dr. Prager said there were several simple steps which could avoid “computer face” such as regular screen breaks and stretching the neck muscles. And, of course, there was always Botox(肉毒杆菌). He said that, after a couple of sessions of Botox, the habit of “grumpy face” could be broken.
1.According to the passage, which of the following are signs of aging?
A. Saggy jowls and short necks B. Turkey neck and frown lines
C. Deep-set wrinkles and angry faces D. Second neck and stressed muscles
2.Why does Dr. Prager suggest a mirror for his clients?
A. To be aware of their “computer face” B. To see if they have got a second neck
C. To make sure their make-up is perfect D. To find more signs of premature aging
3.From the last 2 paragraphs, we can know that_____
A. “computer face” is avoidable B. we should give up using computers
C. we should break the habit of “grumpy face D. the younger generation is worse at computers
In the famous fairy tale, Snow White eats the Queen's apple and falls victim to a curse(诅咒);in Shakespeare's novel, Romeo drinks the poison and dies; some ancient Chinese emperors took pellets(药丸)that contained mercury(水银), believing that it would make them immortal, but they died afterward.
Poison(毒药) has long been an important ingredient in literature and history, and it seems to always be associated with evil, danger and death. But how much do you really know about poison?
An exhibition, The Power of Poison, opened last month at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, intended to give the audience a more vivid understanding of poison.
The museum tour starts in a rainforest setting, where you can see live examples of some of the most poisonous animals: caterpillars(毛毛虫), frogs and spiders. Golden poison frogs, for instance, aren't much bigger than a coin, but their skin is covered with a poison that can cut off the signaling power of your nerves, and a single frog has enough venom to kill 10 grown humans.
"Poisons can be bad for some things," Michael Novacek, senior vice president of the museum, told NBC News. "Yet they can also be good for others."
A poisonous chemical found in the yew tree is effective against cancer, which is what led to the invention of a cancer-fighting drug called Taxol.
The benefits from natural poisons are not limited to just medicine. Believe it or not, many substances(物质)that we regularly ingest(摄入)-chili, coffee and chocolate-owe their special flavors or stimulating(提神的)effects to chemicals that plants make to poison insects.
1.What does the underlined word "immortal" in Paragraph 1 mean?
A. happy B. not moral
C. living forever D. sick
2.What is the main purpose of the exhibition The Power of Poison?
A. To give people more in-depth knowledge about poison.
B. To teach people how to handle poisonous animals.
C. To inform people about which animals are the most poisonous.
D. To show how poison has been used for medical treatment.
3.Which of the following statements about the Golden poison frog is TRUE according to the article?
A. Its skin can cut off the signaling power of your nerves.
B. It's about the size of a coin.
C. It's the most poisonous animal on display.
D. You can only see it in a rainforest setting of the museum.
4.The stimulating effects of coffee come from ________.
A. natural poison made by the plant B. the substances that we regularly ingest
C. chemicals produced by poisonous insects D. its special flavor
If you find yourself checking your phone first thing in the morning, if you find you're text-messaging while driving, checking your phone instead of working on an important assignment—you are addicted.
Don't worry. The new NoPhone might be just the thing you need. It looks and feels exactly like a smartphone, but it does nothing. It's just a piece of plastic that you can carry around in your hand to fool yourself.
NoPhone is currently a prototype(手机模型) that will cost only $12 once it hits the market. Its makers are trying to raise $30,000 in order to cover the production and marketing costs.
Dutch designer Ingmar Larsen, who helped create the NoPhone, said that he had the idea as a joke along with his friends Van Gould and Ben Langveld. To their great surprise, the idea received a lot of attention online and people from all over the world started placing requests for NoPhone of their own, so that's when the three friends decided to raise money for mass production.
David H said,“ I used to sleep with my phone in my hand, but my night terrors would cause me to throw it across the room in an unconscious panic. With the NoPhone, I can still enjoy the comfort of holding a phone in my sleep, without waking up to a broken screen, thanks, NoPhone.”
If you're interested in NoPhone, but concerned about not being able to take selfies anymore, don't worry. The makers do have an update at no extra charge—the mirror sticker. That way, they say, you can enjoy “real-time” selfies with your friends when they're standing right behind you.
1.From the third paragraph we can infer that_______.
A. NoPhone is a device made of high technology.
B. the makers want to raise money to improve their technology.
C. NoPhone has not been on the market at present.
D. the users of NoPhone can stay away from the real world.
2.What made the designers surprised was that________.
A. many people thought of the idea as a joke at first
B. people in Dutch began to make NoPhone of their own
C. people worldwide began to fund mass production
D. people worldwide were interested in NoPhone on the net
3.According to David H, he often ______at night.
A. used his smartphone B. had nightmare
C. became unconscious D. looked for his smartphone
4.What does the underlined phrases “take selfies” most probably mean?
A. take a photo of oneself B. get in touch with someone
C. take the place of someone D. catch sight of someone
假设你是李华，正和朋友们组建一支乐队。请写信向学校的音乐老师介绍你们的乐队，并请他给你们一些建议。内容包括：乐队成员、歌曲风格、乐队的排练和演出计划等。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可适当加入细节，使行文连贯；
3. 不可使用真实姓名和班级等
Dear Mr. Huang,
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Yours,
Li Hua
