A sea turtle named Herman, an octopus called Octavia, and a seal named Lidia all spent this summer at the Smithsonian’ s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. But unlike the zoo’s other residents, they are not real animals. These creatures are actually huge sculptures and they’re made entirely out of plastic trash from the ocean.
These giant artworks, along with 14 others, are part of a traveling exhibit called “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea”. The Washed Ashore project, led by artist Angela Haseltine Pozzi, works to raise awareness about the problem of plastic pollution in Earth’s oceans.
More than 315 billion pounds of plastic litter the world’s oceans today. Most of the plastic is garbage from towns and cities, as well as trash that people leave on beaches. Rainwater, winds, and high tides bring the trash into the ocean or into rivers that lead to the ocean. Once it is under the waves, the plastic begins to break up into smaller and smaller pieces. It often collects in spots called garbage patches, which spread over large areas of the ocean.
Thousands of marine animals — including whales, sea turtles, and fish — die each year from eating or getting stuck in plastic bags and other items. Plastic pieces can also injure coral and kill sea grass.
Washed Ashore and other organizations are working to stop that from happening. Since 2010, Washed Ashore volunteers have collected 38,000 pounds of plastic trash from more than 3000 miles of beaches. They helped Pozzi create more than 60 sculptures of marine creatures that were harmed by plastic pollution.
The artworks on display at the National Zoo include a 20-foot-long coral reef, a 12-foot-long shark, and a 16-foot-long parrot fish. Each one is made from hundreds of pieces of trash like water bottles and sunglasses.
“These sculptures are a powerful reminder of our personal role and global responsibility in preserving biodiversity on land and in the sea,” says Dennis Kelly, director of the National Zoo.
1.Why is Angela exhibiting her sculptured animal?
A.To prove her talent in sculpture.
B.To attract most visitors to the zoo.
C.To care about the plastic pollution in seas.
D.To teach the people the use of plastic.
2.What is stressed in Para. 3 according to the text?
A.Why plastic is difficult to break up.
B.What problems plastic litter causes.
C.Where plastic pieces go at last.
D.How garbage patches are formed.
3.What are Washed Ashore volunteers doing?
A.Collecting pollution trash from the beaches.
B.Turning trash from the ocean into art.
C.Raising 38,000 pounds for plastic pollution.
D.Surveying the data of plastic litter in oceans.
4.Which of the following best describe Dennis Kelly’s attitude to Pozzi’s sculpture?
A.Doubtful B.Supportive
C.Negative. D.Indifferent
Do you remember your first day of school? Were you excited or a bit scared? When I started school, I lived in an area of southern Germany. I remember how frightened I was, mostly because I didn’t know what to expect.
My mother and I walked quietly, downhill into the center of town. When we entered the classroom, I noticed all the children were sitting quietly in their seats. Anxiously, I picked a spot next to a friendly-looking girl.
In my nervousness, I had totally forgotten I was to receive a Schultuete (school cone) on the first day of school, but as I looked at my teacher's desk I remembered. Her desk was covered with huge cardboard cones. I knew that my mother had filled my Schultuete with goodies and brought it to my classroom the day before, but I didn't know which one was mine.
That morning, the focus of my attention remained with those cones. All of the fear slowly disappeared. When the teacher asked me to approach the desk, she did not seem threatening at all. When she smilingly handed me my Schultuete, I was the happiest girl.
Proudly, I carried my gift home. The hill did not seem steep at all. Hurriedly, I unwrapped my Schultuete and discovered candies, chocolates, and oranges. This day stayed in my mind as one of the sweetest in my life.
When I was older I asked my mother about her first day of school. She told me she hadn't received a Schultuete from her parents because the custom had not been established all over Germany at that time.
The custom began in the cities in the 1800s and then spread to the towns and villages. By the early 1950s, the tradition of the Schultuete was established all over the country. And it has been passed on even in the present day.
1.How did the author feel at first about her first day of school?
A.Excited B.Confused
C.Afraid D.Delighted
2.According to the text, a Schultuete _____.
A.is given to kids as a gift on their first day of school
B.is presented as a reward by a school teacher
C.became popular in the early 19th century
D.is usually filled with school supplies
3.The underlined sentence “The hill did not seem steep at all” implies that ____.
A.the author was in good health B.the author was very excited then
C.the author enjoyed climbing hills D.the author missed her mother badly
Walk For Charity
Dear Friend,
Please join us for our annual Walk For Charity.Starting in Weldown,you and your friends can choose a delightful 10,20 or 30 kilometers' route.
The money raised will provide support to help people all over the world.Start collecting your sponsors now and then simply come along on the day.Please read the instructions below carefully,especially if you require transport to and from Weldown.
See you on Sunday 15 April.
V Jessop: Walk coordinator
PS.Well done to last year's walkers for helping to raise a grand total of ￡21,000.The money has already been used to build a children's playground.
START TIME:
30 km: 8-10 am 20 km: 8-10:30 am 10 km: 8-11:30 am
The organizers reserve the right to refuse late-comers.
CLOTHING should be suitable for the weather.If rain is forecast,bring some protection and be prepared for all possibilities.It is better to wear shoes that have been worn in,rather than ones that are new.
ROUTE MAPS will be available from the registration point.The route will be sign-posted and arranged.Where the route runs along the road,walkers should keep to one side in single file,facing oncoming traffic at all times.If you need help along the route,please inform one of the staff.
Free car parking is available in car parks and on streets in Weldown.
BUSES:
For the 10 and 20 kilometers' routes,a bus will be waiting at Fenton to take walkers back to Weldown.The bus will leave every half hour starting at midday.The service is free and there is no need to book.
1.When may a walker be forbidden to join in the walk?
A.Being late for the walk. B.Parking a car on the streets.
C.Choosing the shortest route. D.Bringing no clothes for the weather.
2.According to the route map,where does the 20 kilometers' walk finish?
A.Weldown. B.Fenton.
C.Great Rushly. D.Lower Brene.
3.What is the walker warned of?
A.To prepare new shoes for the walk. B.To book the bus ahead of time.
C.To care about their own safety. D.To donate at the registration point.
4.When will the first bus leave?
A.11:30 am B.12:30 pm
C.13:20 pm D.14:40 pm
Directions: Write an English composition in 120—150 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese.
进入高中生活以来已经有两个月的时间了，在这一段时间里，一定有令你难忘的回忆，请描述令你印象深刻的一件事，并谈谈你的体会。
注意：请勿出现真实的班级和姓名。
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Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets.
1.迄今为止，科学家们还没有找到治疗癌症的良方。( remedy)
2.她瞥了一眼那本字典的价格，二话没说就买了下来。( hesitation)
3.为了帮助保护这些名画，每天只有几个人被允许进入参观博物馆。(admit)
4.据说给别人留下好印象的关键是改进你与同学交流的方式。(key)
Directions: For each blank in the following passages there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
Choosing the right job is probably one of the most important decisions we have to make in life, and it is frequently one of the hardest decisions we have to make. One important question that you might ask yourself is: “How do I get a good job?” 1..
There are people who can answer an insignificant advertisement in the local paper and land the best job in the world; others write to all sorts of places all over the country, and never seem to get a reply at all. Still others believe that the in person, door-to-door approach is by far the best way to get a job; and then there are those who, through no active decision of their own, just seem to be in the right place at the right time 2.. He used to spend a lot of his free time down by the sea watching the tall ships, but never thinking that he might one day sail one of them. His father was a farmer, and being a sailor could never be anything for the boy but an idle dream One day, on his usual wandering, he heard the captain of the ship complaining that he could not sail because one member of his crew was sick. Without stopping to think, the lad （少年） offered to take his place. 3..
This story also illustrates the importance of seizing an opportunity when it presents itself. If the lad had gone home to ponder （考虑） his decision for a week, he may have missed his chance. It is one thing to be offered an opportunity; it is another thing to take it and use it well. Sometimes we hear stories about people who break all the rules and still seem to land plum jobs（美差）.When you go for a job interview or fill out an application, you are expected to say nice things about the company to which you are applying. 4.. And within a year this person had become general manger of the company.
A. It is very important to seize an opportunity when it presents itself.
B. People find jobs in an infinite number of ways.
C. it’s almost impossible to find a good job by answering advertisement in newspapers.
D. Take for example the young man who wanted to be a sailor.
E. But there was one person who landed an excellent job by telling the interviewer all the company’s faults.
F. He spent the rest of his life happily sailing the ships he had always loved.
