I have a degree in business. But it was ...

    Earlier this year I removed all Internet services from my home, which was very upsetting at first, but I have lived that way. 1.

I was not content with the time I was wasting—I felt I could do more purposeful things than spend it on the Internet. If there is something I want to research on the Internet. I write it down and use that list when I have Internet access, 2. I’ll go to the office, the library, the coffee shop, or some other place with free public Wi-Fi, and work on what I need to do online.

3. I log on (登录) to watch some videos or laugh at funny pictures, but I go on the Internet with the intention of doing these things. Whenever I’m on the Internet now, I use it in a deliberate way, a way that benefits me and my life, and a way that adds value.

4. I could focus on writing without being disturbed. I have more time to read, to write, to think, to exercise and to walk. Because I’ m out of the house and there are people around. I meet new people. Additionally, I have more time for friends and I feel less stressed and my thoughts are clearer. My mind is more focused on important things. 5. Plus, I no longer long for the Internet like I once did.

It will be upsetting at first, but you will live, and your life will be better without it.

A. I don ’t have a monthly Internet bill.

B. Now the Internet is a tool I use to improve my life.

C. Now I’m forced to leave the house to get the Internet.

D. This doesn’t mean I think the Internet is bad or wrong.

E. Since I got rid of the Internet at home I’ve found so many benefits.

F. Here are some of my tips to use the Internet in a more productive way.

G. It ended up being the most productive and wisest decision I’ve ever made.

    Pigeons in London have a bad reputation. Some people call them flying rats. And many blame them for causing pollution with their droppings. But now the birds are being used to fight another kind of pollution in this city of 8.5 million.

“The problem for air pollution is that it’s been largely ignored as an issue for a long time,” says Andrea Lee, who works for the London-based environmental organization Client Earth. “People don’t realize how bad it is, and how it actually affects their health.” London’s poor air quality is linked to nearly 10,000 early deaths a year. Lee says, citing(引用)a report released by the city manager last year. If people were better informed about the pollution they’ re breathing, she says, they could pressure the government to do something about it.

Nearby, on a windy hill in London’s Regent’s Park, an experiment is underway that could help—the first week of flights by the Pigeon Air Patrol. It all began when Pierre Duquesnoy, the director for DigitasLBi, a marketing firm, won a London Design Festival contest last year to show how a world problem could be solved using Twitter. Duquesnoy, from France, chose the problem of air pollution.

“Basically, I realized how important the problem was,” he says.  “But also I realized that most of the people around me didn’t know anything about it.” Duquesnoy says he wants to better measure pollution, while at the same time making the results accessible to the public through Twitter.

“So”, he wondered, “how could we go across the city quickly collecting as much data as possible?” Drones were his first thought. But it’s illegal to fly them over London. “But pigeons can fly above London, right?” he says. “They live—actually, they are Londoners as well. So, yeah, I thought about using pigeons equipped with mobile apps. And we can use not just street pigeons, but racing pigeons, because they fly pretty quickly and pretty low.”

So it might be time for Londoners to have more respect for their pigeons. The birds may just be helping to improve the quality of the city’s air.

1.What can we infer about London’s air quality from Paragraph 2?

A.Londoners are very satisfied with it.

B.The government is trying to improve it.

C.Londoners should pay more attention to it.

D.The government has done a lot to improve it.

2.Duquesnoy attended the London Design Festival to _________.

A.entertain Londoners. B.solve a world problem.

C.design a product for sale. D.protect animals like pigeons.

3.Why did Duquesnoy give up using drones to fly across London?

A.Because they are too expensive. B.Because they fly too quickly.

C.Because they are forbidden. D.Because they fly too high.

4.Which can be the best title for the text?

A.Clean air in London. B.London’s dirty secret.

C.London’s new pollution fighter. D.Causes of air pollution in London.

    Cortana, Alexa ,Siri ,These are names of robotic voices that are often programmed on electronic tablets. They also become default (默认) identities for people with speech disorders who rely on technology to communicate. Now some speech scientists are developing personalized voices to reflect the broader diversity of the people who use them. To do it, they are tapping into a vast network of volunteers who are donating their voices to share with people who can’t speak.

The effort to build an international “Human Voicebank” has attracted more than 17,000 volunteers from 110 countries, including Priyanka Pandya, a 16-year-old from Columbia, Md., who plans to spend her winter vacation recording a string of sentences into her computer “To be able to give somebody the gift of voice, I think that’s really, really powerful,” she said.

“Everyone has a voice,” said Rupal Patel, founder of VocaliD, the company that started the voicebank. “Even people who are unable to speak have sounds that are unique to them.” Her company designs personalized voices by recording the unique sounds of the user, and then mixing them with 6 to 10 hours of recordings from a voice donor, matched by age, gender and region. The company is developing voices now for its first 100 customers.

Also, people’s voices change. The company is looking for donors who are willing to record their voices, and then record them again a few years later, as they get older.

Some of the first customers say they are happy with the results, John A. Gregoire was one of the first customers to receive a personalized voice from Vocalid last December. The voice came eight years after he developed ALS (肌萎缩侧索硬化症) and more than six years have passed since his voice became unintelligible to everyone except his wife and youngest son. “Having a distinctive voice is like getting something back that was stolen.” John said.

1.What can we know about the voicebank?

A.It collects all kinds of voices.

B.It gains strong public support.

C.It helps to recognize special voices.

D.It offers people personalized voices free.

2.What does the example of John A. Gregoire stress?

A. Customers' desire for personalized voices.

B.VocaliD's efforts to develop personalized voices.

C.Customers'satisfaction with personalized voices.

D.VocaliD's success in designing personalized voices.

3.What does the underlined word “unintelligible” mean in the last paragraph?

A.Unclear. B.Soft.

C.Incomplete. D.Rough.

4.What is the main idea of the text?

A.Volunteers donate their voices to VocaliD.

B.Vocalic is devoted to building a voicebank.

C.The Human Voicebank wins fame among people with speech.

D.The Human Voicebank helps people with speech problems.

    In beautiful rural Montana lies the town of Livingston. Around half the students in the Livingston School District qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, according to local educator Rachael Jones, known as “Farmer Jones”. She is the director of the Livingston Farm to School program, which uses the district’s two greenhouses and four gardens to grow food that supplements (补充) school meals while offering kids hands-on lessons. Jones said, “In many places around the country, if you can t pay for your school meal, you don’t eat. Well, here, we don’t turn anyone away.”

The town’s school district and community members started the program eight years ago. It was part of the National Farm to School Network, which aims to increase access to local food and nutrition education across the country. Jones, who attended public school in Livingston as a kid, has headed up the local program since 2014. Farm to School enriches curriculums in all of the schools through garden lessons, cafeteria and kitchen lessons, and classroom lessons.

Research has shown that healthy school meals can better academic performance, including improved test scores. Though the Farm to School program is not aimed only at lower-income students, Jones said, “Such kids are more likely to eat lunch provided by the school.” Eventually she wants to get healthy, affordable meals on the plate of every child in Livingston.

It is important for kids to understand where their food comes from. That’s a life-changing experience for them. Jones said, “When I grew up a big force in my life was my grandma Ethel. She taught me from a really early age the value of growing my own food. I worked in her gardens with her and somehow, through all of those experiences—eating her tomatoes and canning pickles (泡菜) with her—it really built up my trust and knowledge in food systems. I’m so thankful to her!”

1.Who is “Farmer Jones” according to the text?

A.A local farmer. B.A community volunteer.

C.A teacher in a local school. D.a student in a local school

2.Why is the Livingston Farm to School program set?

A.To offer students food and lessons.

B.To help local farmers make a living.

C.To provide part-time jobs for students.

D.To improve local environmental protection.

3.What can we know from Paragraph 3?

A.The program was short of money.

B.Students were facing health problem.

C.The program offered all students free meals.

D.Students’ study performance progresses due to healthy meals.

4.What makes Jones so confident in food system?

A.Her grandma’s suggestions. B.Her childhood experiences.

C.Her college education. D.Her healthy lifestyles.

At Beaver Creek, The Extraordinary Awaits You

Are no two snowflakes alike? The snowflakes we see in the winter are most likely completely unique from one other.

Beaver Creek is a great place to experience the beauty of the snow, with programs for everyone—from children, teens, and women-only lessons to small groups and private-guided experiences.

First Track, from Beaver Creek Reserve, lets you be the first on the mountain, with an adventure that begins at 7:30 a.m. when you are met by ski professionals and taken on a private, guided tour—before the mountain is open to the public. Once you have skied, you are treated to a delicious breakfast at Allie’s Cabin.

If you are looking for a higher level of comfort there is the White Carpet Club, from Beaver Creek Reserve. Located in the heart of Beaver Creek Village, it maximizes your time on the mountain by streamlining your access to it. At the club, there are private lockers and boot dryers, along with preferred self-parking and a slope-side ski waiter. A receptionist can assist with lift tickets, pass purchases, dinner reservations, and activity recommendations.

Of course, there is more to explore during the winter in Beaver Creek as well. There is ice skating, snowshoeing, shopping, and spas—you name it, Beaver Creek has it. It is the perfect place to take advantage of the snow and be in the moment, in the mountains, together.

The extraordinary is a rare combination of one-of-a-kind experiences designed to be shared with service that exceeds expectation. The extraordinary brings you closer to one another and offers a special place to belong together. Belong in The Extraordinary.

1.First Track can offer visitors ________.

A.an early visit B.an ice skating show

C.a tasty lunch D.a free skiing lesson

2.What is the White Carpet Club special for?

A.Skillful trainers. B.Quiet living experience.

C.Thoughtful service. D.Good views over the mountain.

3.The passage is written to ________.

A.attract visitors B.compare different programs

C.appeal for sports D.introduce training courses