阅读下面材料在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Recently I spent two days in Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I found the city fascinating to tour, but it was the desert 1. really appealed to me. So I jumped at the chance 2. (experience) a desert safari (游猎).
Arriving at the desert, we were impressed with the splendid view before us. Huge dunes (沙丘) spread out amazingly as far as the eye could see. We 3. (drive) up, down and around 4. (they) by an experienced Arabian driver. Though in fear, everyone screamed 5. (delight). At sunset, we headed to the desert camp, where dinner was waiting.
At the camp, we could choose from abundant activities to enjoy before dinner, 6. camel rides, body painting and taking pictures with an eagle. How cool!
In the center of the camp stood a large stage, 7. (surround) by rows of low tables on the carpets. Everyone sat on cushions on the ground and had 8. good view of the center of the stage. Throughout the buffet dinner, we enjoyed several fantastic 9. (perform).
During my brief stay in Dubai, I saw famous buildings and wandered through spice markets and museums, but my safari into desert was by far the 10. (attract) part.
One day when I was 15 years old, I had some friends over to hang out. While we were making food in the kitchen, my brother came in. He placed his beef next to my ______ one and said, “Courtney, your beef is bigger than mine. You don’t need to ______; you’re already fat enough.” Then he walked out laughing.
Unpleasant ______ on my physical appearance were nothing new. Something inside me gave in to his idea that my legs were ______, and that became the last day that I ever willingly wore ______ until I was 30 years old. For the next 15 years, I spent summer after summer ______ in long pants.
But then I met Ragen Chastain, and she ______ everything. I couldn’t believe that this woman who, like myself, weighed almost 300 pounds was so ______ and happy in her own skin. I ______ as she shared her own journey to recovery and self-love. She talked about how amazing our ______ are, simply because of the things they do every day—like breathing, ______ blood to every cell, blinking and walking.
Walking! I was suddenly ______ how foolish I’d been for so long. There’re people who are born without legs, or who lack ______ working legs, or who lose their legs, and I’d been hiding my perfectly strong, healthy, beautiful legs ______ because I had ______ someone to convince me that they weren’t good enough. The next day, I bought three pairs of shorts and a sundress and spent the entire summer letting my legs ______ the sun and feel the breeze.
The next time anyone comments on your body in a ______ way, look them straight in the eye, smile and say, “If what you see ______ you so much, feel free to practice the ancient art of looking ______ else.” That’s Ragen’s own ______, but I don’t think she’ll mind if you use it.
1.A. small B. plain C. thick D. slim
2.A. walk B. eat C. talk D. cry
3.A. reports B. suggestion C. reflections D. comments
4.A. unnecessary B. unacceptable C. unique D. pants
5.A. shorts B. T-shirts C. socks D. pants
6.A. sleeping B. roasting C. driving D. running
7.A. changed B. solved C. believed D. explained
8.A. sensitive B. generous C. tiresome D. energetic
9.A. laughed B. expected C. waited D. listened
10.A. legs B. weights C. bodies D. images
11.A. pulling B. putting C. preventing D. pumping
12.A. afraid of B. absorbed in C. aware of D. anxious about
13.A. properly B. regularly C. accidentally D. possibly
14.A. in shame B. in panic C. in pride D. in delight
15.A. begged B. allowed C. refused D. invited
16.A. avoid B. see C. cover D. kick
17.A. normal B. special C. different D. negative
18.A. amuses B. excites C. bothers D. hurts
19.A. somewhere B. anywhere C. nowhere D. everywhere
20.A. decision B. question C. creation D. requirement
If you want to save money on groceries following ways will help you cut $100 out of your monthly grocery bill without too much effort.
1. Convenience lets you save time for other things you need to get done. Pre-made items may save your time, but they cost a pretty penny. These items come in the form of packaged dinners or pre-cut produce. Instead of that plate of cut pineapple, buy the whole fruit or vegetable for a part of the cost.
Know what to buy in bulk (大批). Shopping at warehouse stores can be a great way to save money, but not every item is worth buying in bulk. 2.
Skip the meat The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average cost of beef is $ 4.13 per pound this March. 3. If you skip the beef twice a week, you can instantly cut $30 to $40, if not more, off your grocery bill each month.
Know what to buy in season. Fruits and vegetables are a great addition to your daily diet, but they can add a significant amount to your grocery bill, especially when you buy items out of season. 4. If your favorite items are getting ready to go out of season, consider buying a little extra and freezing them.
5. However, there are ways to, stretch your dollar further without hurting your habits.
A. Store pre-made items.
B. Skip the prepared items.
C. Shopping for groceries can be an expensive attempt.
D. Beef has seen a significant increase in price over the past few years.
E. The cost can add up quickly if you’re eating beef three or four times per week.
F. As produce items go out of season, the become more expensive as the supply decreases.
G. Certain items make sense to buy in large quantities as they typically have a longer shelf life.
British people work some of the longest hours in Europe, but are among the least productive. Now some companies are shortening the working week to increase efficiency, health and happiness.
Rich Leigh has introduced a four-day week at his PR company. In fact, his entire company has Friday off, because his firm has adopted a four-day week. It is one of a handful of UK businesses that now operate like this: staff still get paid their previous five-day salary, but they work a day less. The company found that they achieved just as much—and there were even sighs of growth. “The key to the scheme’s success,” Leigh says, “is how happy our employees now are.”
The average British worker takes only a 34 minute lunch break and works 10 hours overtime each week (more often than not this is unpaid). Yet UK productivity falls seriously behind their European neighbors, who tend to work fewer hours.
British working practices have caused loss and damage to the nation’s health and happiness. More than half a million workers in the UK were signed off with work-related stress or anxiety last year. Moreover, the work landscape itself is changing. Automation and AI will have a significant impact on the labor market, where unsteady work becomes more common.
Britain is the only EU member that allows workers to ignore the EU working time limit and work longer hours. For campaigners, now is the time for a change. O’Grady, an advocate, argues that where businesses have increased their profits as a result of automation, success should be shared with workers in the form of reduced hours. “It’s time to share the benefits from new technology, not allowing those at the top to grab them for themselves.” she says.
1.We can learn from the passage that ________.
A. British people are the least productive in the world
B. Most companies in Britain have conducted a four-day week
C. PR company has witnessed a rise in employees’ happiness
D. British people work longer and get more payment than other countries
2.Which is the proper description of British working practices?
A. The working time of British workers is within the EU limit.
B. In terms of productivity, Britain is beaten by the United States.
C. Profits gained from new technology are on the decrease.
D. Automation and AI are likely to cause an instable work market.
3.Which can be inferred from O’Grady’ s words in the last paragraph?
A. It’s time for employers to share the increased profits created by automation.
B. Workers should benefit from automation in the form of less working hours.
C. New technology should belong to both businesses and workers.
D. Businesses can’t make more profits without new technology.
4.What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?
A. To introduce some British firms’ switch to a four-day working week.
B. To explain the reasons why British workers suffer stress and anxiety.
C. To appeal for more reasonable working conditions.
D. To present the current productivity problem in Britain.
If you live in Washington, D. C., or Redwood, Calif., you may have glimpsed a small, boxy robot rolling along a local sidewalk, minding its own business, but attracting the attention of many a curious onlooker.
The robots, which look like electric rice cookers with wheels, were part of a pilot program last year by Starship Technologies focused on delivering meals from local restaurants in dozens of cities around the world.
This week, the company revealed plans to broaden it’s delivery service beyond food to include packages, a move that made it “the world’s first robot package delivery service”. The package delivery service is only available in some cities in the US.
The wheeled robots have a top speed of 4 mph and and can detect barriers from as far as 30 feet away. “The robot can operate through just about anything,” says Nick Handrick, head of operations for Starship’s D. C. office, “If you have something in the way, it’s able to climb it.” By giving customers control of when deliveries occur, Starship Technologies is promoting its service as a way to combat package theft.
To sign up for the service, which costs a little more than $10 per month, customers need to download the company’s app. Customers then create a “Starship Delivery Address,” a unique address inside a Starship facility, instead of a home address, where they can have packages sent from places such as Amazon. com.
Once a package is delivered to the Starship address, customers receive a text notice that allows them to schedule a home delivery via robot. The robots are opened by customers with a mobile phone code (代码).
1.What do we know about Starship Technologies company?
A. Packages are delivered by its robots all round America.
B. Its robots have taken on package delivery for a long time.
C. It is the first to provide robot package delivery service.
D. Its delivery service is the best of all in the world.
2.What does the underlined word “combat” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. Delay. B. Prevent.
C. Report. D. Discover.
3.What can we learn about robot package delivery service?
A. Customers can’t open the robots without a mobile phone code.
B. Starship Delivery Address is the customer’s home address.
C. Customers have to pay a little more than $10 each time.
D. Robots themselves have control over when to deliver packages.
4.What may be the best title for the passage?
A. Robot Delivery Service Is Taking Off
B. Humans Are Being Replaced by Robots
C. Everything Can Be Done by Robots
D. Packages Can Be Delivered by Robots
According to the International Ecotourism Society, eco-travel is “responsible travel to natural areas that protects the environment, maintains the well-beings and involves education”. Eco-travel is on the rise, as more and more people become conscious about their carbon footprint.
Expert from Boundless Journeys, Matt Holmes, who works-on travel experiences towards conserving areas said, “As scientists and non-scientists learn more about how we human beings are impacting the planet, I think. more people want to do what they can while still exploring the world. Our guests are definitely interested in that aspect of our journeys. Travelers can farm their own food in Italy, managing their use of water and using solar or wind power. They can also visit n family-run camp that cares for retired logging elephants in Myanmar, know a park entry fee goes to a conservation organization in Costa Rica, employ and train members of the local community or partner with a protection group. There are lots of options for seeking out greener holiday.”
Most people believe that eco-travel is expensive and it is true. Matt explained “Anti-poaching patrols (巡逻) need to be paid, solar energy equipment costs a lot to install, building with environmentally friendly, materials is more expensive and so on. The extra cost is necessary, as you re paying to minimize your footprint and protect the places you visit, which is exactly what eco-travel is about. The financial success and sustainability (可持续性) of an eco- focused operation doesn’t come from thin air.” The industry is trying to make eco-travel affordable and make it accessible to the common people.
1.What is the positive influence of eco-friendly travel?
A. It enables travelers to protect the environment while traveling
B. It keeps human beings healthy and happy in a friendly atmosphere.
C. It teaches us to be responsible for the development of economy.
D. It offers some valuable education about the knowledge of gardening.
2.According to Matt Holmes, travelers will be interested in ________.
A. eating delicious food in Italy B. visiting elephants in the zoo
C. working together with a protection group D. raising park entry fee in Costa Rica
3.What will probably be talked about in the next paragraph of the passage?
A. Why eco-travel is expensive.
B. How we can make eco-travel less expensive.
C. What material are used in eco-travel.
D. Where we can go for eco-travel.
