Leonardo da Vinci was an extraordinary g...

Biking through my PhD

Overcoming my initial struggles in the Netherland to start my PhD has been like riding a bike.

I _____ in a hilly, seaside city in China without cycle paths, and biking was  _____ for me. Now, my Dutch neighbour was telling me I had to _____.

It took me around a month to feel _____ cycling. After half a year, I was starting to enjoy it. For me a hopeful ______ for dealing with Dutch traffic was to make a lot of noise as I ______: loud laughs, “look out”, “watch it”, and so on. This ______ other cyclists into keeping away from me, and prevented the ______ that had seemed unavoidable when I started.

This pattern, of a time of struggle ______ by fun, was reported with other ______ of my life in Utrecht. There were more “bikes” that I ______ to learn how to ride. One of them was ______ management. In Utrecht, I don’t see people working ______ time. As for working at the weekend, ______ it. I initially assumed that nobody was working very hard, because of their shorter ______. But after a few months, I ______ that the other PhD students were all ______ focused on their work during that eight-hour working ______, whereas I was taking endless “breaks” when I could have been focusing on my studies.

Cycling has become a ______ of my growth, freedom and ______ adjustment to PhD life in the Netherlands. And I have formed a good habit of working while I work and playing while I play.

1.A.went through B.worked out C.grew up D.got around

2.A.necessary B.dangerous C.convenient D.normal

3.A.travel B.decide C.learn D.advance

4.A.nervous B.anxious C.sensitive D.comfortable

5.A.trick B.plan C.tendency D.instruction

6.A.shouted B.jogged C.rode D.explored

7.A.cheated B.persuaded C.guided D.frightened

8.A.races B.crashes C.ruins D.competitions

9.A.accompanied B.presented C.motivated D.appreciated

10.A.backgrounds B.occupations C.studies D.aspects

11.A.hesitated B.failed C.remembered D.needed

12.A.time B.finance C.business D.effect

13.A.special B.regular C.extra D.valid

14.A.cancel B.forget C.select D.promote

15.A.hours B.vacations C.weekends D.distances

16.A.regretted B.supposed C.argued D.recognized

17.A.completely B.considerately C.hurriedly D.repeatedly

18.A.practice B.section C.period D.evaluation

19.A.inspiration B.symbol C.symptom D.remark

20.A.successful B.ambitious C.objective D.adventurous

How to Improve Your Immunity

Immunity (免疫力) is the ability of the body to fight diseases and disease-causing pathogens (病菌). Increasing your immunity can be beneficial for not only preventing illness, but also making you feel better in general. 1. .

Eating Healthy

Eat more fruits and vegetables. 2.. They are also rich in antioxidants(抗氧化物), which increase your oxygen level. And stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water can raise immunity levels in your body. Eat plenty of yogurt and try whole grains, which are especially good for improving your immune system.

3.

Meditate (冥想) a few minutes every day. You can use meditation to slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure. Sit for a few minutes with your eyes closed, letting any distracting thoughts leave you.

Talk to your friends and family about stressors. Reaching out to others can help you to feel better about the stress in your daily life. 4.. Relaxing music can also make you feel less anxious, which helps to improve your immune system.

Getting Enough Sleep and Exercise

Get enough sleep every night. Sleep helps to restore your body and keep your immune system strong. Keeping your body well rested will help you to stay healthy.

5.. Exercise decreases your risk for heart disease and helps white blood cells circulate at a higher rate. It can also help reduce hormones associated with stress.

A.Reducing Your Stress

B.Making good use of stress

C.Make sure not to overdo exercise

D.The best ways to increase your immunity are as follows

E.Take a walk or have proper exercise on a regular basis

F.They have a lot of vitamins and nutrients that boost your immunity

G.Besides, Listening to music can lower your heart rate and blood pressure

    A company in San Francisco, California, has found a way to turn used plastic bottles into women’s shoes.

Every day, millions of Americans drink water and other liquids from plastic bottles. More than 60 million of them are thrown away each day. Many of the plastic bottles end up in landfills or are burned with other waste products.

A San Francisco start-up company called Rothy’s, however, turns this plastic waste into environmentally friendly shoes. Roth Martin is the company’s co-founder. He explains how they turn plastic into soft material for women’s feet. They take the plastic, clean it, and break it down into small pieces. Then they press them through a device that makes soft fibers. Those fibers are then combined together. This is done by a 3D machine. It is designed to reduce waste while making the shoes. The knitted stuff and the inner part of the shoe are then attached to the shoe’s outer part, called the sole (鞋底). This outer sole is also made from environmentally friendly material: responsibly sourced no-carbon rubber.

Rothy’s shoes are sold online. They are flat shoes, with either a rounded or pointed toe. They come in different colors and designs. They cost either $ 125 or $ 145 per pair, depending on the design. After American actress Gwyneth Paltrow discovered them last year, the demand for the shoes grew. Martin says there is no shortage of material to fill that demand. “We’re not going to run out of water bottles any time soon. So we have a limitless supply of material, and I think that is a good sign for our future.” When the environmentally friendly shoes wear out, customers can return them at no cost to a company that uses the recycled materials to make other products.

For now, the shoes are only available to be shipped in the United States. However, the company says it will add international shipping in the near future.

1.How are used plastic bottles usually dealt with?

A.They are buried or burned.

B.They are used to make shoes.

C.They are changed into soft materials.

D.They arc returned to factories for reuse.

2.What does the underlined word knitted in the third paragraph mean?

A.Attached. B.Fixed.

C.Combined. D.Repaired.

3.Which of the following directly helped to increase the sales of Rothy’s shoes?

A.The design and color. B.The reasonable price.

C.The company’s advertisement. D.The star power of Gwyneth Paltrow.

4.What is the purpose of the text?

A.To advertise a new kind of shoes.

B.To describe the process of making shoes.

C.To introduce a new way of recycling plastic waste.

D.To stress the importance of environmental protection.

    In January 2017, a series of fires in central Chile’s La Maue region burned down over 457,000 hectares (公顷) of forest, leaving behind nothing but burnt ground. Now, three border shepherd dogs(边境牧羊犬) are helping replant it by doing what they love most, running.

Das, Olivia, and Summer, three female border dogs have been working hard to bring the forest burnt by fire back to life since March. They are essentially running and playing, but their work is important. The dogs’ owner, 32-year-old Francisca Torres, takes them to various areas of burnt forest in her truck, equips them with special bags which she fills with seeds of local plants. Then the dogs are sent out to run around and spread as many seeds as they can. When they return, she rewards them with snacks, fills up their bags and sends them out on another run.

Torres, who trains the dogs not to attack any wild animal while on seed spreading tasks, thinks border shepherd dogs are perfectly suited for the job, because of their intelligence, energy and speed. They’ve learned that they have to empty their bags in order to receive their tasty reward when they return, and can cover much more ground than a human ever could. Every day, they can cover up to 30 kilometers and spread around eight kilograms of seeds, while a person on foot could only cover 3 kilometers. Most importantly, they love what they do.

Replanting the vast burned-down forest in just a few days will take years, but Torres hopes that her dogs will bring back enough plants for some of the animals to return. Torres has seen some fields that are now totally green thanks to the work of Summer, Olivia and Das. In some of 15 forests that the three border shepherd dogs have been responsible for, grass is coming back, and small trees are beginning to push through the burnt earth. Hopefully, enough seeds will come up soon for animals to come back.

1.Why does Torres train three shepherd dogs to replant the forest?

A.They are perfectly fit for the job.

B.They would like to spread seeds.

C.They are so kind as not to attack any wild animal.

D.More animals will come back to the forest following the dogs.

2.How do the three dogs help replant the forest?

A.They prevent animals eating plants.

B.They spread the seeds by running.

C.They help dig out seeds from the burnt ground.

D.They lead some animals with seeds to the forest.

3.Which can best describe Torres?

A.Strict but brave. B.Energetic but selfish.

C.Smart and nature-loving. D.Easy-going and honest.

4.What can we learn from the text?

A.The dogs do the jobs without reward.

B.The dogs have finished their tasks so far.

C.Wild animals have come back to the forest.

D.The forest has turned green in some fields.

    One summer, when I was young, my dad built me a lemonade stand. On sunny days I would set up outside the local car wash with a cooler and my little black safe. I didn’t get many customers but I always had fun, whether I was reading a book or adding paint decorations to the safe and signs.

One customer I did have was an elderly gentleman who lived across the street from the car wash.

He would come every day where I set up and buy a glass of lemonade for his wife. Even though I only charged 25 cents, he always paid me with a $1 Sacagawea coin. I built up quite a collection by the end of the summer!

Now, as a college student, I make a point of stopping at as many lemonade stands as I can, always paying more than the kids charge me. This has been going on for almost three years now but this week, I didn’t have any money with me when I stopped at a little girl’s stand. I dug around in my car thoroughly and eventually opened up one of my moving boxes showing a black safe covered in soft cloth painted rainbows and hearts. I opened it up and sure enough, there were my Sacagawea coins. I almost shut the lid again because they mean so much to me, but then I realized that this is exactly why I had to pay with the coin. When I gave that little girl the shiny gold coin, I said, “You hang on to this one; they don’t make them any more!” And her face lit up. As I drove away, I saw her running to her sister to show her the gold coin and I knew that I had made her just as happy as I was when I was a little girl.

1.What did the gentleman pay the author for the lemonade?

A.25 cents every time. B.A collection of gold coins.

C.A one-dollar gold coin each time. D.A little black safe with many gold coins.

2.Why did the author pay the little girl with a gold coin?

A.To pass the kindness. B.To show her wealth.

C.To help the poor girl. D.To make the girl happy.

3.How did the author feel when she gave the girl the coin?

A.Unwilling and hesitant. B.Excited and willing.

C.Serious and pleased. D.Peaceful and pleased.

4.What can be a suitable title for the passage?

A.A Kind Young Lady B.A Shiny Gold Coin

C.A Wealthy Gentleman D.A Happy Lemonade Stand