Creative vending(售卖) machine prints short stories to read while you wait
Recently, inventive vending machines have become popular around France. 1. Created by literature-loving company Short Edition, these savvy stalls(货摊) promise to help pass the time, whether you’re waiting at the airport, stuck at the train station, or even accompanying your friend on the trip to the mall.
2. To use these wonderful and creative inventions, simply choose your desired reading time: 1 minute, 3 minutes, or 5 minutes. Then, the machine will surprise you with a randomly-selected short story to occupy your time and make waiting around a bit more bearable— at least for a couple of minutes!
The “Short Story Dispenser” first debuted(亮相) at Paris’ bustling Charles de Gaulle Airport last year. 3. If you’d like to learn more about the locations of these lovely literary oases, check out the Short Edition website. 4.
5. All you have to do is choose the length of time you'd like to spend reading. And look! Out comes a little piece of literature.
A. Fewer people read short stories these days.
B. Using a “Short Story Dispenser” is simple.
C. How do you kill a few minutes while waiting for a bus or train?
D. Since then, the popular machines have been fixed in various public places across the country.
E. Short Edition, a library of short literature, has fixed unique vending machines that print out short stories.
F. Instead of selling sweet treats or sugary drinks, however, these machines distribute short stories.
G. Pretty in design and minimal in effort, each vending machine offers an appealing way for customers to kill time.
Worries about the extra time needed to walk or bike to work are a big reason people get into their cars, but those worries may be unfounded.
In a new study, researchers asked 253 staff and 252 students at Penn State how often they drove, took the bus, walked, or biked to school. Participants also answered questions about how long they thought it would take them to walk or bike from their home to school. Google Maps calculated actual travel times.
According to the findings, about 91 percent of staff incorrectly estimated (估计) how long it would take to walk to school, and about 93 percent overestimated how long it would lake to bike.
Students were a little better at estimating travel times－about 55 percent incorrectly estimated walking times and about 43 percent misestimated biking times. Almost everyone who was not accurate overestimated the travel time.
The findings clarify the barriers that keep people from walking or biking, sometimes referred to as“active travel,” says Melissa Bopp, a professor at Penn State. He pointed out the key to getting people to travel more actively is to learn more about people’ s knowledge, altitudes, and beliefs.“I can’ t change your age, but I can change your knowledge,”Bopp says.
Several characteristics could predict if someone was more likely to estimate travel time incorrectly. Staff who thought parking was more available and accessible were more discordant （不一致的), and women were more likely to be more discordant than men.
On the contrary, people who rode a bike or walked more often were more likely to accurately predict travel times.
While the study looked at people predicting travel time when they shared a common destination, the results have broader meanings.
1.Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “unfounded” in Paragraph 1?
A.unnecessary. B.normal.
C.disturbing. D.beneficial.
2.What conclusion can we draw from the findings?
A.School staff lack common sense.
B.Everyone overestimated the traveling time by bike.
C.School students estimated more accurately in the study.
D.Students have higher intelligence than school staff.
3.What matters in getting people involved in “active travel”?
A.Weight. B.Status.
C.Age. D.Knowledge.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.Walking or biking is beneficial to you.
B.Walking or biking is quicker than you’ d think.
C.Walking or biking is becoming more popular.
D.People walking or biking can predict accurately.
Located on the waters of Lake Superior, Rabbit Island is a remote place where few people live. While this tiny island may not look big from up above, it’s a piece of undeveloped nature, the perfect place for artists from all fields to come and inspire their creativity.
It was that vision that made New Yorker Rob Gorski purchase the island on Craigslist in 2010. He wanted to protect the island’s natural state. But Gorski had more than preserving nature in mind. He saw an opportunity to create a place where artists, musicians, writers, dancers and other creative types could reconnect with nature while learning about environmental protection and sustainability (可持续性).
Shortly after that, Gorski worked with friend and artist Andrew Ranville and created the Rabbit Island Foundation. The organization’s main goal is to host artist living programs during the summer while also teaching and supporting environmental protection, sustainability and serving “as a platform for science, art, preservation and recreation for the generations.” In keeping with the belief that the island should remain largely untouched, the artists follow a “leave no trace” policy. Small solar panels (板) are used to produce electricity, and buildings are simple and modest. There’s also the added benefit that there are no modern distractions (分心的事情) for the artists — no Internet, no television.
What sets Rabbit Island apart from other arts programs is the fluidity (流动性) of the programs. Artists are encouraged to experience being on their own and listen to what nature is trying to tell them. Ranville hopes the artists have a better understanding and appreciation for nature, just as he does with his art.
1.Which words can best describe Rabbit Island?
A.Beautiful and interesting.
B.Big but peaceful.
C.Remote and undeveloped.
D.Small but mysterious.
2.Apart from preserving nature, another reason why Rob Gorski purchased Rabbit Island is that __________.
A.he was preparing to make an investment
B.he hoped to leave the property to his grandchildren
C.he wanted to create a place for artists to connect with nature
D.he planned to provide a place for people to spend their holidays
3.Which of the following are features of living on Rabbit Island?
a. They use solar panels to produce electricity.
b. Buildings there are simple and modest.
c. The house foundations are solid and permanent.
d. There is no Internet or television.
A.abc. B.abd.
C.acd. D.bcd.
4.What is special about Rabbit Island compared with other arts programs?
A.It is mainly to help poor artists.
B.Its location isn’t that convenient.
C.Artists are taught how to develop other islands.
D.Artists are encouraged to experience nature on their own.
A quick walk onto a frozen pond could have been a disaster for these two boys.
Cruz Genet, 11, and Anthony Skopick, 10, couldn’t agree. Were the birds out on the ice ducks or geese? There was only one way to find out. So on a cold January evening last year, the two friends walked onto the frozen pond near their homes to get a better look.
First, they threw a rock onto the ice to test it. Convinced the ice would hold their weight, Anthony took a few steps, and then he crashed through the seemingly frozen surface. “There was no sound, no crack,” he told the reporter. “I just fell through instantly.”
Cruz rushed to help his frightened friend. And the pond swallowed him, too. Cruz managed to lift himself out of the water and onto a more solid section. He then cautiously worked his way toward Anthony, but he fell in the pond again. This time, he couldn’t get out.
The boys were in icy cold water and quickly losing feeling in their limbs （四肢）. Cruz was sure that he was going to die.
Anthony’s older sister had seen the boys fall through the ice and started screaming for help. John Lavin, a neighbor driving nearby on his way to the store, heard her. He quickly pulled over. Seeing the boys, he grabbed a nearby buoy（浮标）, kicked off his shoes, and ran into the water. Lavin made his way to Cruz and Anthony and dragged them back to land. They were taken to hospital, where doctors discovered that their five-minute stay in the water had lowered their body temperature nearly ten degrees.
Fortunately, the boys have fully recovered, though they are still a little awestruck (敬畏的) by their fearless neighbor. “Just to think,” says Cruz, “if he hadn’t been there, I could have died.”
1.Why did the boys go to the frozen pond?
A.They were curious about whether the ice could hold their weight.
B.They wanted to have a better look at the pond.
C.They wanted to know what kind of birds were on the ice.
D.They wanted to go skating on the ice.
2.Before the boys walked onto the ice, ______.
A.they argued over who should be the first to go
B.they threw a rock to test whether the ice was strong enough
C.they asked Anthony’s older sister to stay nearby to protect them
D.they grabbed a nearby buoy and kicked off their shoes
3.What did Cruz do when Anthony fell into the pond?
A.He went to help his friend.
B.He went to ask for his sister’s help.
C.He went to ask for his neighbor’s help.
D.He went to find a buoy nearby.
4.From this passage, we can infer that _____.
A.Anthony’s older sister went to the pond with the two boys
B.a strange passer-by saved the two boys
C.Cruz fell into the pond with Anthony at the same time
D.the two boys were very grateful to their neighbor
Railay Princess Resort and Spa is situated in Ao Nang, just 40 minutes from Krabi International Airport. It also has a coffee bar and an outdoor pool. Guests can enjoy a range of relaxing treatments and beauty therapy at the in-house Waree Spa. It provides family-friendly facilities, with room designs and services for families both large and small, plus a kids club and a playground. It also has a gym with a swimming pool.
Rooms at Railay Princess are peaceful and have a refrigerator, a mini bar and cable TV. Hot drinks can be made with the available tea and coffee supplies and enjoyed in the comfort of the room’s sitting area. Railay Princess Resort and Spa features both a restaurant and a bar where guests are able to relax at the end of the day with a meal and a drink. Breakfast is available each morning and can be enjoyed in the comfort of the rooms.
Railay Princess Resort and Spa is surrounded by the area’s well-known sightseeing attractions, including Princess Lagoon, which is within walking distance.
Features:
General: Room Service, Restaurant, Air Conditioned, Mini Bar, Refrigerator, Cable TV, Bath, Coffee / Tea Maker, Hair Dryer, Shower, Private Bathroom, Private Toilet, Kids Club, Packed Lunches
Activities: Fitness Room, Swimming Pool, Beauty Centre, Garden, Karaoke, Water Activities, Playground, Spa and Wellness Centre, Child Pool, Outdoor Pool
Services: Business Centre, 24-Hour Reception, Dry Cleaning, Babysitting, Conference Rooms, Currency Exchange, Meeting Rooms, Laundry Service, Photocopier, Ticket Service Parking: There is an airport shuttle (摆渡车) that runs from the hotel.
Check-in: From 2:00 p.m.
Check-out: By 11:30 a.m.
1.In Railay Princess Resort and Spa, people can do all of the following things EXCEPT ____.
A.have fun with their kids B.walk their dog
C.have a drink in the bar D.have a relaxing spa experience
2.What can guests do in their hotel room?
A.They can make coffee or tea in the room by themselves.
B.They can cook because the rooms are equipped with kitchens.
C.They can have a good view of Princess Lagoon.
D.They can have breakfast and dinner from the restaurant in their room.
3.When can you check out?
A.At 12 a.m. B.At 4:00 p.m.
C.At 3:30 p.m. D.At 10:30 a.m.
建国70年庆典在北京举行，了解到各领域取得的巨大变化，你一定感慨颇多，请根据下列提示写一篇英语短文，内容包括：1．生活水平改善；
2．国际影响增强；
3．你的感想。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头已给出，不计入总词数。
The 70th National Day is coming along with the splendid celebration in Beijing. In the past 70 years,
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Yours，
Li Hua
