Water is a necessity of life. Rain, especially, helps plants grow and stay green. But too much rain, especially in cities, can lead to flooding. That can cause waste water systems to overflow and send pollutants into rivers and other waterways. To fight the problem, several cities in the United States are starting programs like rooftop gardens.
A team at the University of the District of Columbia in the nation's capital has created a garden on the top of one school building. The garden holds many kinds of plants to help absorb rainwater and grow food at the same time. Architect David Bell has designed five "green roofs" for the university. He says he is excited about the project because "it meant doing something more than just dealing with storm water management. It took advantage of a resource above the city and these flat roofs that aren't doing anything really became something that was about urban agriculture. " Rainwater is collected in large containers and sent through a system that waters the rooftop garden. The roof is filled with green life that appeals to insects.
In cities, “you don't have that many spaces to choose from and so rooftops are just (unused) space," says Caitlin Arlotta. She is a student in the school's Urban Agriculture program. The project is part of a research program to see which plants do well on rooftops. The researchers are looking at plants including strawberries, tomatoes and sweet potatoes. The university also has other green spaces. "We also have our own farm experiments," Arlotta said. “ Within each of those growing systems, we want to be able to tell people which sorts of these crops grow the best. "
Sandy Farber Bandier helps run UDC's Master Gardener program. It seeks to improve cities and make them beautiful by training people to become Master Gardeners. She says she's been surprised by the garden's output. ”My biggest surprise was that we produced 4, 250 pounds of produce the first year and was able to spread that to people in need. " She also likes being able to show people who live in D. C. and others beyond the nation's capital what and how food can be grown on a rooftop. “This is the future for food. You grow it here, you prepare it in a commercial kitchen, you distribute through farmers markets,food trucks, and then you recycle. "
1.What do we know about the rooftop gardens?
A.Rooftop gardens are very common in average neighborhoods.
B.There are many sorts of plants there which help take in rainwater.
C.They're playing an important role in the city's food supply.
D.Rooftop gardens are no more than containers to collect rainwater.
2.What can we infer from Paragraph 3?
A.Rooftops can offer enough space to plant crops.
B.Many plants like strawberries can grow well on rooftops.
C.Some univercity students are participating in the Urban Agriculture program.
D.The plants in rooftop gardens are attractive to many insects.
3.How does Sandy Farber Bandier feel about the future of rooftop gardens?
A.Confident.
B.Doubtful.
C.Worried.
D.Ambiguous.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Rainwater Necessity for Plant Life
B.Green Roofs-The Future of Urban Agriculture
C.The United States' Agriculture Program
D.Rooftop Gardens-Food Paradise
In 1953，a mountain climber reported seeing a bar-headed goose soar over the peak of Mount Everest (珠穆朗玛 ). It was thought impossible. Now researchers who raised 19 of the geese—named for the black stripes on the backs of their heads—have shown the birds really fly so high.
The team trained the youngsters to fly in a large wind tunnel wearing backpacks and face masks full of sensors that recorded their heart rate. blood oxygen levels, temperature, and metabolic rate—how many calories they burned per hour. The researchers simulated(模拟)10w-, medium-, and high-altitude conditions by altering the concentration of oxygen supplied to face masks worn by each goose as it flew in the tunnel.
Birds already have a better heart and lungs than mammals for sustained physical activity. And researchers knew that bar-headed geese have even larger, thinner lungs that let them breathe more deeply and an even bigger heart to pump more oxygen to muscles than other birds.
The wind tunnel experiments showed that when the concentration of oxygen was at its lowest-like the 7% found on top of Mount Everest versus 21% at sea level—the geese's heart rate and frequency of wing beats remained the same even as their metabolic rate dropped. Somehow, the birds managed to cool down their blood-the measured blood temperature droppedso it could take in more oxygen, the researchers report today in eLife. This cooling likely helps compensate for the very thin air, the team says.
Although well trained, the birds were only willing to stay in the air a few minutes-or Iesswhen wearing their backpacks and flying at 6ihigh" altitudes. So it's not clear whether these adaptations alone are what make it possible to fly the 8 hours it takes to climb over Mount Everest. But those few minutes showed these geese really could fly over the top of Mount Everest.
1.Why did the researchers raise 19 bar-headed geese and train them?
A.To test the flying height and speed of them.
B.To confirm they could fly over Mount Everest.
C.To observe them flying through the wind tunnel.
D.To see how many calories they burned per hour.
2.What can we learn from the wind tunnel experinent?
A.It was carried out at very high altitude.
B.The geese managed to breathe less when their blood decreased.
C.The geese could live through the lowest concentration of oxygen.
D.It shows the geese could fly at high altitude for long.
3.What still puzzles scientists about the geese?
A.Whether they have super hearts and lungs.
B.Whether they have muscles pumped more oxygen to.
C.Whether they are willing to wear backpacks and face masks.
D.Whether they can manage to fly 8 hours to climb over Mount Everest.
4.Where does the text most probably come from?
A.A science fiction.
B.A climbing guide.
C.A travel brochure.
D.A science report.
Brandon Olsen and Tylor Fritz of Hometown Sanitation (公共卫生) left gifts for three sisters who waved to them each Thursday after learning that one of them, 3-year-old Rose, had been fighting cancer.
The men also gave their parents free garbage service for one year.
“When they did that, it was a few weeks before the diagnosis (诊断) when every day just felt so impossible,” said Rose's mother, Angie Evenson, of Blue Earth, Minnesota. “Nothing in reality changes Rose’s diagnosis. But what they did makes us feel we are truly not alone in this fight.”
With binoculars (双筒望远镜) in hand, Rose and her two sisters, Grace, 5 and Sophia, 2 sat by the window and waved at their garbage men, Olsen and Fritz, as they drove by on their weekly route.
Olsen, 29, and Fritz, 24, told ABC News that the girl’s smiling faces are what they look forward to while working. They even left Halloween candy for the girls this year to show their appreciation. They hope that more and more people can understand and support their work.
But weeks later, Evenson wrote Olsen and Fritz a note explaining that little Rose wouldn’t be able to wave to them for a while since she'd be undergoing chemotherapy (化疗). Rose had been diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer in September.
“As a father of three, it changed my outlook on things,” Olsen said. “It opened my eyes…you don’t know what someone else is going through.”
Fritz said he cried when he read the note. “I got to the chemo part and there were tears running down my face,” he recalled. “I don’t have any children of my own, but I can imagine if someone very close to me is diagnosed as cancer, I’ll be heartbroken.”
“Rose is being treated at Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She will miss a few more Thursdays, when she can wave to her garbage men, but her chemo sessions will be switched to Mondays soon and she’ll be back by the window early next year. I have confidence in Rose’s recovery.” her mother said.
1.How did the garbage men help Rose’s family?
A.They took the sick girl to hospital regularly.
B.They collected the garbage for free.
C.They looked after Rose in turn.
D.They offered money to help cure Rose.
2.What can we learn about the garbage men?
A.They made the family famous. B.They encouraged the family.
C.They gave Angie Evenson a good lesson. D.They doubted about the doctor’s diagnosis.
3.What do the garbage men wish for in terms of the girls’ smiling faces?
A.People’s appreciation for their work.
B.Good friendship with the young girls.
C.Making more efforts to do their work well.
D.The girls’ family’s caring more for their children.
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A.Olsen has three sons. B.Fritz has not got married.
C.Fritz is faced with a serious disease. D.Evenson is optimistic about Rose’s condition.
The Outdoor City Adventure Book Festival
For one week in July, Sheffield Central Library becomes the center of adventure in the Outdoor City. Check out some of the events. Most of them are free but early booking is recommended.
July 10
Bee Quest - A Hunt for the World's Most Elusive (难以捕捉的) Bees Central library Carpenter Room, 7 : 008 : 30pm.
A hunt for the world's most elusive bees leads Professor Dave Goulson from Poland to Patagonia, deep into the Ecuadorian Jungle. He also explores closer to home.
Among secret places hidden right under our noses and through his scientific expertise (专业知识), shows us that beauty hides in the most surprising places.
July 11
Clarion Call: A Heartfelt Tribute to Sheffield' s Access Pioneers
Central I.ibrary Carpenter Room, l0 : 30-11 : 30am.
Well-known walker, activist and campaigner, Terry Howard takes us back a hundred years and shares the story of the role Sheffielders played in the first fights for our right to freely walk on the Peak District moors (旷野). The Clarion Ramblers is thought to be the first working class walking club. This is the story of their important role in gaining us the access we all enjoy today.
July 12
The Wainwrights in Color Central Library Carpenter Room, I : 302 : 30pm.
Inspired by the work of the great Alfred Wainwright, over 10 years Andy Beck has reproduced in watercolor all l, 500 pictures drawn in A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells. Andy speaks about how the scenes in the Lake District have changed during the last 50 years.
July 13
Craft (制作) Your Own Adventure Journal-A Workshop Central Library Reading Room, 2 : 00-3 : 00 pm,￡5.
Learn paper craft techniques to make your own beautiful travel journal. Get advice from our expert tutor on using old photos adventures and holidays.
Collecting stories and memories from your.
1.Which event should you choose if you're interested in bees?
A.Bee Quest.
B.Clarion Call.
C.The Wainwrights in Color.
D.Craft Your Own Adventure Journal.
2.What day is the right time to share the story of Sheffielders?
A.July 10.
B.July 11.
C.July 12.
D.July 13.
3.What is special about Craft Your Own Adventure Journal?
A.It lasts the longest.
B.It needs reservation.
C.It calls for admission charges.
D.It offers the most interesting stories.
假设你是红星中学高一学生李华。你的英国笔友Peter来信询问你高一学校生活的情况。请你给他回信，内容包括：
1.你的学校生活；
2.你的感受；
3.询问他的情况。
注意：1.词数不少于50；
2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Peter,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
The Amazon Rainforest: A Natural Treasure
Welcome to the Amazon rainforest. As the largest rainforest in the world, it plays a significant role in maintaining the fine balance of the Earth's ecosystem.
The Amazon rainforest crosses into eight countries. With an area of around 5.5 million square kilometres, the Amazon rainforest is more than half the size of China. The Amazon River, from which the rainforest gets its name, is about 6,400 kilometres in length. On its journey from the mountains to the ocean the river supports many different ecosystems. 1.
Of the 390,000 plant species known to man, more than 40,000 can be found in the Amazon. The forest's different levels support an unbelievable variety of wildlife. At the bottom, there is a system of roots beneath the ground. Above that is the mass of leaf litter on the dark forest floor. 2. Then there are the towering ancient hardwoods, and finally the tops of the tallest trees many metres above the ground. Each level of the forest forms its own little world, home to different kinds of living things.
More than 1,300 species of birds and over 400 species of mammals hide among the jungle's plant life. This jaguar is one example. It has yellowish-brown coat with black spots. While a significant number of jaguars survive here, they are only one element of this forest's food chain. 3. These frogs, in turn, feed on insects which eat leaves and fruit. When a jaguar dies, a tiny army of microorganisms helps break down its body and return the nutrients to the earth.
The Amazon rainforest breathes life into the planet by fixing carbon and producing over 20 percent of all the Earth's oxygen. 4. Moreover, the Amazon rainforest is a treasure house of species that can be used for food or medicine. Yet there is one major danger to these irreplaceable plants and animals: us.
5. As the impact of human activities such as agriculture and cattle farming continues to grow and the list of species in danger of extinction becomes longer, we are left with a question: can we afford to damage the "lungs of the planet"?
A. They feed on at least 87 species, including frogs.
B. Thus, it is often known as the "lungs of the planet".
C. Rivers tend to be the easiest way to enter the forest.
D. The next level is made up of shorter plants with large leaves.
E. They give this area the richest species of plants and animals on the Earth.
F. Currently the trees in the Amazon take in around 500 million tonnes of CO2 each year.
G. Over the past 50 years, 17 percent of the rainforest has disappeared due to human activities.
