Different Cultures
The cultures of the East and the West really distinguish themselves from each other a lot. 1..
The origin of the Eastern culture is mainly from two countries:China and India. Both of the two cultures are developed by rivers — the Yellow River in China and the Indus River in India. 2.
When the two mother rivers gave birth to the Eastern culture，another famous culture was brought up on the Mesopotamian plain（美索不达米亚平原）一the Mesopotamian Civilization. This civilization later on developed into the cultures of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greek.3. Like the Chinese culture，the European culture also crossed waters. When the British settled down in America，their culture went with them over the Atlantic Ocean. So the American culture doesn't distinguish itself from the European culture a lot.
4. Take the language system for example. In the East，most languages belong to the pictographic language while the Western languages are mostly based on the Latin system. Other causes like human race differences count as well. But what's more，due to the far distance and the steep areas between the East and the West，the two cultures seldom communicate until recent centuries. So they grew up totally in their own ways with almost no interference（干预）from the other.
The differences are everywhere. 5. But different cultures make the world in the 21st century more varied. The cultural gap should not be the obstacle to the civilization of human beings. It ought to be the motivation for our going farther.
A. Let us work together to keep a variety of cultures.
B. One important thing is to learn about the other's culture.
C. And these two are well-known as the base of the European culture.
D. This is because the culture systems are two separate systems on the whole.
E. They helped the two cultures develop for centuries and form their own styles.
F. They are obvious and affect people's ways of thinking and their views of the world.
G. At the same time，some other differences add to the cultural differences.
Looking for a fun Earth Day activity? You may want to try plogging, or picking up litter while jogging. Strange as it may sound, the new “sport" is becoming popular with runners worldwide? many of whom are posting photos of themselves and friends holding bags of trash on social media.
Plogging is the idea of Erik Alstrom. In 2016, after moving to Stockholm in northern Sweden, Alstrom showed concern over the amount of trash on the road during his daily bike ride to work. Thus, he began plogging during his daily runs.
Other joggers soon joined Alstrom, and the activity became so popular that official “plogging" events started all across Sweden. As plogging became popular on social media, the new “sport" began to spread beyond Sweden, first to other European countries and then worldwide.
The official online “Plogga" group now includes members from over 40 countries, all the way from United States cities like Ohio to Thailand and Ecuador. Many school running clubs are also getting in on the action to encourage people, staging competitions that reward the runners with the heaviest trash bags.
As it turns out, plogging is not only good for the environment but also a healthy way to exercise. According to Swedish fitness app Lifesun, an average person burns about 288 calories while plogging for half an hour. This is about 50 calories more than he/she would burn when just jogging. Additionally, the constant squatting(蹲) to pick up litter increases the plogger's flexibility, while lugging(费力地拖) around the increasingly heavy garbage bags helps strengthen his/her arm muscles.
On this Earth Day, be sure to put on your running shoes, carry a trash bag or two, and go plogging. Or better still, start a plogging team at school, or around your neighborhood, and make every day Earth Day!
1.Why did Erik Alstrom decide to pick up litter while running?
A.He wanted to clear out a path to ride his bike.
B.He was concerned about the trash on the road.
C.He was fond of exercising on his way to work.
D.He dreamed to become popular across Sweden.
2.How do school running clubs support the new “sport”？
A.They post photos of official events online.
B.They explain what plogging means on stage.
C.They compete with one another for members.
D.They hold competitions to attract people to plog.
3.Why is Swedish fitness app Lifesun mentioned in paragraph 5?
A.To show that plogging is of benefit to health.
B.To say that plogging is environment-friendly.
C.To offer the approaches to exercising properly.
D.To tell joggers to carry heavy bags to work out.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Plogging: A Strange But New “Sport" for Runners
B.What We Should Do to Reduce the Amount of Litter
C.Running Is Really Helpful to Environmental Protection
D.Plogging: A Fun Activity for Earth Day and Every Day
It is generally accepted these days that reading a book will help you relieve stress. And it may actually make you a more thoughtful person as you learn to connect with the various characters. But there’s more. A new study discovered that reading more than 3.5 hours per week actually increased a person’s lifespan(寿命) by 23 percent-about 12 years for the people involved in the study.
The study was led by a group of researchers at Yale University. It looked at 3,635 people, both men and women but all older than 50.The researchers divided them into three categories: those who didn’t read books; those who read up to 3.5 hours a week; those who read more than 3.5 hours a week.
After the researchers adjusted for factors like education, health and income, the data showed that, on average, those who read about 3.5 hours a week were 17 percent less likely to die.
In addition, the study examined people who read newspapers and magazines and found that they were 11 percent less likely to die than nonreaders, but only if they spent more than seven hours reading each week. That may be due to the different forms of these items. When people read newspapers or magazines, they tend to skim the material rather than read it fully. AvniBavishi, the study’s leader, said, “We believe people need to know, learn and understand more things when they are reading books, because they’re longer and there are more characters, more plots to follow, and more connections to make.”
From all of this, the authors concluded that, as with a healthy diet and exercise, books appear to promote a “significant survival advantage”.
Clearly, there is a need for more study. We’re certain that book lovers all around the world will be glad to provide the data needed to make further conclusions.
1.What can we learn from the first paragraph?
A.A few people think that reading can help them relax.
B.Reading can make a person more sensitive.
C.Reading can help a person to live a longer life.
D.Most people think that reading can help them to live a better life.
2.What can we learn about the people in the study from the text?
A.All of them were older than fifty.
B.Most of them were women readers.
C.More than half of them were college students.
D.They were divided into four groups by the researchers.
3.Generally speaking, those who read newspapers and magazines than those who read books.
A.live longer B.are more likely to be positive
C.have a better ability to understand D.get fewer benefits in terms of the lifespan
4.In the last paragraph, the writer aims to .
A.tell readers about the importance of reading
B.tell readers that the study needs more data
C.call on book lovers to provide more data for the study
D.encourage readers to make further conclusions by themselves
Jerome Karie and Isabella Lugoski met in their first physical chemistry class at the University of Michigan in 1940. Jerome Karie was in his first year of doctoral work, Isabella Lugoski was in her last year as an undergraduate(大学本科生), and they were laboratory partners. However, they didn't get along well at first.
Isabella Lugoski looked back on the past, “I walked into the physical chemistry laboratory and there's a young man in the desk next to mine with his equipment all set up running his experiment. I don't think I was very polite about my question. I asked him how he got there early and had everything all set up. He didn't like that. So we didn't talk to each other for a while.
Their relationship got going as they competed for the top grade in that course and they started to build connection because both of them were interested in chemistry. They married in 1942. By 1946, both of the Karies had earned doctorates in physical chemistry, and, after a period of time at the University of Chicago working on the Manhattan Project, moved to Washington DC to join the US Naval Research Laboratory.
Each specialized in a different aspect of X-ray crystallography(晶体学): Jerome focused on developing equations(方程式) that could determine how atoms(原子) were arranged inside complex molecules, while Isabella ran practical experiments to test how well the equations worked. Working together, they created what is now called the direct method for determining molecular structures(分子结构), which has allowed scientists to effectively study and copy complex organic molecules to continue further study.
Jerome Karie was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1985. Although he was disappointed that the Nobel committee had ignored Isabella's contribution to that work, she was unfazed. At that point, she had already won more awards and prize money for her experimental work than he had.
1.What did Isabella Lugoski do when she first met Jerome Karie?
A.She blamed him for his being late. B.She set up all his equipment for him.
C.She asked him a question impolitely. D.She observed his experiment silently.
2.What made Jerome Karie and Isabella Lugoski become connected?
A.Their common interest in chemistry. B.Their wonderful marriage since 1940.
C.Their pleasant first talk in a laboratory. D.Their successful cooperation in courses.
3.What is paragraph 4 mainly intended to show?
A.The Karies' encouraging further study. B.The Karies' good teamwork in science.
C.How the Karies worked with others. D.Why the Karies won the Nobel Prize.
4.Which of the following best explains “unfazed" underlined in the last paragraph?
A.Generous. B.Touched. C.Shocked. D.Calm.
Shakespeare once wrote that all the world is a stage, but these days it's more like a movie set. Get to know some films to find fantastic film locations(地点) you should check out on your travels.
The Sound of Music
Austria's hills are certainly alive with the sound of music and tourists. Mozart may have been born in Salzburg, but The Sound of Music really put it on the map and now about 70 percent of people visit it because of the movie. Cross Residenzplatz Square and visit the Palace of Leopoldskron where the children in the film fell into the lake.
Troy
Although the Palace of Troy was filmed on sets built at Shepperton Studios in the UK, most of the 2004 movie was shot in Malta and Baja California, Mexico. Malta with historic sites and beautiful blue waters was a good choice to replace Greece. Troy was shot at a host of locations, including Golden Bay, Hal Far as well as Fort Ricasoli(where the city of Troy was constructed). The Trojan horse from the film is now lying on the waterfront in Canakkale, Turkey.
Bridget Joneses Diary
Bridget Jones is brought to life as we watch the work and romance in London. Her special corner flat is above the Globe Tavern by Borough Market, one of the city's oldest and biggest food markets. According to The Telegraph, it would be highly unlikely that she could afford to buy a place like that today since it has risen in value by more than 240 percent.
Harry Potter
J. K. Rowling started writing the Harry Potter books while she was living in Edinburgh, Scotland, so it's no surprise that she set most of the story there. The Hogwarts Express travels through the Scottish Highlands and along the 31 meters high Glenfinnan Viaduct. The second highest waterfall in the UK, Steall Falls can be seen during Quidditch matches.
1.Which of the following films makes Salzburg famous?
A.The Sound of Music. B.Troy.
C.Bridget Jones's Diary. D.Harry Potter.
2.Where was the city of Troy built?
A.In Hal Far. B.In Fort Ricasoli. C.In Canakkale. D.In Golden Bay.
3.What is the similarity of the last two films?
A.Their theme is mainly about romance. B.Their authors lived in the same house.
C.Most of their stories were set in the UK. D.They cause the prices of houses to rise.
_________ from other continents for millions of years, Australia has many plants and animals not ________ in any other country in the world.
A.Having divided, to be found B.Having been separated, found
C.Have been separated, found D.Divided, finding
