A 35-year-old Australian mother makes around $58,000 a year by hugging total strangers. Jessica O' Neill started her __ job six months ago. "As human beings, one thing we often __ in our daily lives is physical touch. Without it, we can fall into depression and other mental health problems. To satisfy this ______, I've become a professional worker in hugging treatment," said Jessica.
Jessica claims that her hugs can _____ those who are suffering from loneliness, depression, or low self-confidence. Originally, Jessica was a masseuse （女按摩师）, a quite ____ profession. She notices that when she _____ her customers during treatments, they dropped their guards and __ her more. "I could see their __ melt away. Then I could get to their heart and do what I can to __ them," Jessica said. "Everyone has a totally different story. But the most common ____ are loneliness, depression and anxiety. They all just have that desire to ____ with someone. I believe my hug helps me and my _____ connect on a spiritual level."
Jessica says the majority of her customers are _______, but she has a surprising number of female customers____Despite many people thinking she must be ____ for doing such work, Jessica is confident that she's made the right ____ "It's so much more rewarding than just working as a masseuse. I feel like it's what I was put on this Earth ______, ” said Jessica. Tn today's digital age, many people are lonelier than ever before. For people whose lives __ physical interaction, hugging therapy can have an apparent effect on their mental health."
"Interestingly, although the hugging _____ has been around for a short while, we've actually covered several __ businesses in the last few years."
1.A.simple B.permanent C.abnormal D.unusual
2.A.observe B.ignore C.misunderstand D.miss
3.A.need B.direction C.curiosity D.requirement
4.A.rescue B.help C.persuade D.train
5.A.ordinary B.well-paid C.admirable D.challenging
6.A.accompanied B.greeted C.consulted D.hugged
7.A.made fun of B.took advantage of C.opened up to D.spoke well of
8.A.purpose B.tension C.delight D.anger
9.A.impress B.interest C.defeat D.cure
10.A.signs B.faults C.weaknesses D.failures
11.A.connect B.agree C.debate D.compete
12.A.colleagues B.ladies C.customers D.passengers
13.A.elderly B.foreign C.male D.overweight
14.A.in return B.as well C.in total D.after all
15.A.responsible B.intelligent C.wealthy D.crazy
16.A.suggestion B.agreement C.choice D.promise
17.A.with B.for C.in D.around
18.A.doubt B.accept C.lack D.hate
19.A.treatment B.protection C.experiment D.nursing
20.A.temporary B.difficult C.secret D.successful
Most people are familiar with big international sports events like the Olympics and the World Cup. But have you ever heard of the Commonwealth Games?
The Commonwealth of Nations is an international organization made up of 53 member states, including Canada, India and Australia.1. Today, they still hold the Commonwealth Games in the hope of keeping their friendship alive.
The Commonwealth Games take place every four years. Like other international sports events, popular sports such as volleyball and hockey are played there. 2. Lawn bowls, a popular game in Commonwealth countries, is similar to culling(冰壶). However, it’s played on a grass field instead of on ice. Netball is another game that is seldom seen outside of Commonwealth nations. 3. It is mainly a women's sport.
Australia held the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Queensland between April 4 and 15, 2018.4.It built new stadiums, a light railway and new Wi Fi networks.
5.It has hosted the games five times. It is also one of just six countries that have attended each of the games since they were first held in 1930.
A. Queensland did a lot to prepare for the games.
B. Nineteen cities in nine countries have hosted the event.
C. Most of these member states used to be British territories(领地).
D. Australia has always been enthusiastic about Commonwealth Games.
E. It's similar to basketball, but each team has seven players instead of five.
F. But there are also other sports that are a bit less known in other countries.
G. Over 5 , 000 athletes compete at the Commonwealth Games in more than 250 events.
We have heard some interesting ways that 5G wireless technology might change our lives in the future.
5G, short for the 5th generation mobile communication technology, promises Internet speeds between 50 to 100 times faster than current 4G systems. While 5G is set to be used in some limited areas of America this year, much of the world is not expected to receive widely available service until 2023.
One project in Britain, however, is already testing this superfast technology on an unlikely group of Internet users-cows. The project was developed by American technology company Cisco Systems. It also receives money from the British government. Cisco says the program seeks to explore the future of 5G connectivity in rural areas around the world.
Testing areas were set up at farms in three rural areas of England. The cows are equipped with 5G-connected devices (装置) that link up to a robotic milking system, which uses sensors and machine learning to fully automate the process. System designers say technology takes over after a cow feels ready to be milked and walks toward an automatic gate. The device is designed to recognize each individual cow. It then positions equipment to the right body position for milking. During the process, machines release food for the cow as a reward.
Other 5G technology tools include automated brushes that turn on when the cow rubs up against them. Sensors also control the amount of light to the cows’ living areas depending on the weather. And, an automatic feeding system makes sure the animals always get enough to eat.
Duncan Forbes, head of the project, told Reuters that the project shows the farm’s cow operations can be greatly improved with 5G technology and that the experiment provides strong evidence that 5G technology can be widely used in the future, not just on farms in Britain, but in rural communities across the world.
1.What is the purpose of Cisco Systems’ program?
A.To win financial support from British government.
B.To test the effects of 5G technology on animals
C.To promote its technological development in Britain
D.To expand the future use of 5G in rural communities.
2.What does the underlined word “It” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A.The project. B.The company.
C.The technology. D.The group.
3.What can we learn about 5G according to the text?
A.It is no worse than 4G in terms of speed.
B.It is already widely available in the world.
C.It enables cows to control their own milking.
D.It is based on sensors and machine learning.
4.In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?
A.Entertainment. B.Lifestyle.
C.Education. D.Technology.
For several months, Cara has been working up the courage to approach her mom about what she saw on Instagram. Not long ago, the 11-year-old girl discovered that her mom had been posting her photos for much of her life. “I’ve wanted to bring it up. It’s strange to see myself up there, and sometimes there are pictures I don’t like of myself,” she said.
Like most other modern kids, Cara grew up under the influence of social media. Facebook, Twiter and YouTube were all founded before she was born. Instagram has been around since she was a toddler (学步儿童). While many kids may not yet have accounts themselves, their parents, schools, sports teams have been organizing an online presence for them since birth. It is a shock to know that details about their lives have been shared online without their permission or knowledge. And this has become a common experience for many teenagers.
Recently a parenting blogger (博主)said that despite her 14-year-old daughter’s horror at discovering that her mother had shared years of highly personal stories and information about her online, she simply could not stop doing it.
But it’s not just crazy mommy bloggers who share their children’s information on social media. Plenty of average parents do the same. There’s even a special word for it: sharenting (晒娃). Almost a quarter of children begin their digital lives when parents upload their prenatal sonogram scans (产前超声波扫描) to the Internet, according to a study conducted by the Internet-security firm AVG. The study also found that 92 percent of kids under the age of 2 already have their own unique digital identity.
1.How does Cara feel about her mom’s behavior?
A.It’s supportive. B.It’s appropriate.
C.It’s annoying. D.It’s favorable.
2.Who is most likely to share children’s information?
A.A quarter of students. B.Some crazy doctors.
C.Kids under the age of 2. D.Many ordinary parents.
3.What can we learn from Paragraph 4?
A.Fathers don’t like to share their kids’ information on social media.
B.25% of children begin their digital lives before they are born.
C.The word “sharenting” can be found 10 years ago.
D.AVG is the name of an internet company.
4.What can be a suitable title for the article?
A.Growing up on the Internet B.A New Term Born
C.Parents Addicted to Blogging D.The Children’s Horror
The snow was falling. The schools were over earlier than usual, but much to my surprise my appointment wasn’t canceled. And so I went, feeling especially heroic. Snow or no snow, I’d be on time for my scheduled donation at the local blood center.
When I got there, I discovered four more “hero-types” were already there, with machines quietly collecting their lifesaving gifts. Seeing them made me believe that while I was proud to be there, I wasn’t a hero. And any silly heroic thoughts quickly disappeared as I lay back in my own donor chair and began my donation. I was ready to make a difference in the life of someone I’ d never meet.
My wife Karen is a donor, too. She’s been on the bone marrow (骨髓) list for fifteen years, ever since she signed up to provide bone marrow to a child. That little girl died before Karen’s bone marrow could help her, but Karen was called again recently as it turned out she might be a match for someone else. The caller asked Karen if she’d still be willing to become a bone marrow donor. “Yes,” she said and then immediately began answering questions in preparation for the pages of paperwork to follow. It was a race against time. I wish I could say this race was won, but again it wasn’t.
Last week Karen gave blood and next week I’ll make my usual donation. I’ll clear an afternoon from my schedule and call for an appointment. Whatever blood product they need whole, I’ll gladly give. I don’t know whose life my donation may affect, but it really doesn’t matter. And sadly, while so few among us actually take the time to donate, Karen and I always will.
1.What can be inferred about the author from the first paragraph?
A.He is quite fond of taking risks.
B.He is a man who always keeps his word.
C.The snow almost ruined his appointment.
D.He never thinks donating blood is a heroic deed.
2.What influence did other donors have on the author?
A.They changed his attitude to himself.
B.They helped him find joy in donating.
C.They made him feel it a duty to donate.
D.They strengthened his belief not to be a donor.
3.What does the passage say about Karen and her bone marrow donation?
A.She has been found a match to nobody.
B.She decided to join in it over 20 years ago.
C.She fell in trouble when she came to paperwork.
D.She has already met with two failures in donation.
4.Which of the following shows the author’s opinion?
A.More people should have become donors.
B.The donation itself should have been made easier.
C.Receivers should have been introduced to donors.
D.More blood products should have been developed.
If you’ll be taking vacation time in the coming year and plan on flying, here are some shopping tips for you. Those who fly first class and don’t care what airline tickets cost are excused from this lesson.
When to buy
If you are shopping for domestic (国内的) flights, check prices on Tuesday afternoons. This is an old tip but still useful because most US carriers continue to release sales on Tuesday morning, and competitors quickly drop their fares to match the better deals.
When to fly
Weekdays continue to be generally cheaper times to fly than weekends for most flights. In the US, the cheapest days are typically Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. A good itinerary (Ðг̱í) for the expensive US spring break travel period is Tuesday to Saturday; it will save you money over weekend-to-weekend travel.
Where to fly
We continue to see good deals to Boston and Denver and more and more nice prices to Chicago, Seattle and Washington, D.C. As for Europe, there have been surprising deals throughout the fall and those will continue into the winter.
Direct vs. connecting flights
Compare the price of direct with connecting flights. Sometimes adding a stop to your route will save you money. An example: an Francisco to Raleigh/Durham: $553 direct, $362 one-stop.
You’d better think twice about the direct flight for San Francisco to Raleigh.
Compare, compare, compare
Stifle the impulse to go to your favorite airline site to purchase tickets without doing any comparison. Example: Let’s say you want to fly from New York to London and figure your favorite US legacy carrier will get you there for the best price. Airline price: $554 round-trip.
However, the comparison site also showed a cheaper flight from the same legacy carrier ($521). See what you’re missing when you fail to compare?
1.When can you possibly find the best price for flights within the US?
A.On Monday morning. B.On Tuesday morning.
C.On Tuesday afternoon. D.On Sunday morning.
2.What does the underlined phrase “stifle the impulse” in the last but one paragraph mean?
A.Feel free to do something. B.Hold off on doing something.
C.Get well prepared for something. D.Make quick decision on something.
3.Who is the text intended for?
A.Those who usually choose first class for their flights.
B.Those who want to find suggestions on where to fly.
C.Those who are traveling during the spring break.
D.Those who are looking for the best airline ticket prices.
