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    Sticking to a vegan diet might sound difficult, especially with many popular dishes containing meat or other animal products. Yet in recent years, veganism (素食主义) has become one of the fastest-growing lifestyle trends in the world. According to HuffPost, more than 3 million people in the United States are vegans. In the UK, about 542,000 people have chosen veganism over the past decade.

What is driving this growth in veganism? One reason may be that people want to protect the environment. Producing meat and dairy products is known to be stressful for the environment. According to a 2013 study by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, global meat manufacturing causes about 18 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. This figure is higher than all the world’s cars, trains and planes combined. According to BBC News, another reason is that many of today’s young people believe it’s wrong to kill animals for food.  Jess Murray, 22, a student at University College London, said she chose to become vegan when she realized that eating animals is a choice people make, rather than something we must do to survive. “Becoming vegan was an ethical(伦理的) decision,” she told the Guardian.

For many people, veganism simply means eating no meat, cheese or eggs, but going animal-free also applies to fashion and manufacturing. For example, leather is used to make shoes and clothing. Every year more than a billion animals, from cows to horses to snakes, are killed to make leather products from their skins. Now, many brands are looking for other materials. The sports brand Puma, for example, has made shoes out of pineapple leaves. Tesla, the US car maker, is said to be removing animal-based leather from its seats. Earlier this year, US singer Lady Gaga created the vegan makeup brand Haus Laboratories. On the brand’s Instagram account, it says: “Cruelty-free and vegan, because we love animals and you.”  So, if you’re interested in protecting animals and saving the environment, you might want to give veganism a try.

1.Which can be the reason for people being vegetarians according to the text?

A.They want to survive on earth.

B.They pursue fashion in the world.

C.They try to adopt a green lifestyle.

D.They worry about their own health.

2.What can you infer from the last paragraph?

A.Going animal-free means letting go of the animals.

B.Veganism simply means boycotting goods from animal skins.

C.Lady Gaga created her makeup brand out of pineapple leaves.

D.Many brands are seeking substitutes for animal-based leather.

3.What’s the author’s attitude to veganism?

A.Supportive. B.Ambiguous.

C.Skeptical. D.Prejudiced.

4.From which part of a newspaper is the text probably taken?

A.Science. B.Fashion.

C.Entertainment. D.Life.

    Zhong Lin Wang started playing table tennis only four years ago. But last year, he and other researchers came up with a clever way to up their game: Build a smart table.

Now they’ve just introduced a new sample table to the public. It can measure where a ball lands, how fast the ball’s going and where it’s headed. The table can do that because its innovative wood surface forms the top layer of a novel self-powered sensor. The data it acquires could guide players to perform better, says Wang.

Wang is a materials scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, in Atlanta. He describes the invention as a machine that can learn to “analyze the behavior” of how someone plays. Importantly, the new smart table won’t need a battery to detect the ball. When a ball hits the wood, it sets off a chain of events that can both generate a small electric current and record measurements of the ball’s behavior.

Wang is an expert at inventing devices that provide their own power. In 2012, he invented a triboelectric(摩擦生电的) nano generator. He calls it TENG, for short. Even if you’ve never heard of “triboelectricity,” you know the phenomenon. Most of us call it static electricity(静电). The first TENG that Wang put together in 2012 looked like a sandwich. It had layers of charged materials separated by a small gap. When the sandwich bent or changed shape, its layered materials rubbed against each other. This caused electrons to start building up on one side.

What makes the new game table truly unique is its use of wood as one of the TENG’s layers. As it turns out, Wang explains, “wood is an excellent triboelectric material.” Building a full-size game table would require a large grid(网格) of wood TENGs. Wang says that’s on his drawing board as a project for the future.

1.Why is the new game table really unusual?

A.It can measure the size of the ball. B.It uses wood as a TENG’s layer.

C.It has a table surface made of steel. D.It needs a charged battery to function.

2.Which of the following can probably replace the underlined “detect” in Paragraph 3?

A.Stop. B.Start.

C.Observe. D.Release.

3.What can we learn about TENG?

A.A TENG had several charged materials connected tightly.

B.A TENG was controlled by rubbing its layered materials.

C.A large grid of TENG can build a full-size game table.

D.A TENG was a nano generator making static electricity.

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

A.A Unique Smart Game Table B.A Wise Table Tennis Lover

C.Ways to Win in Table Tennis D.New Rules for Table Tennis

    It is a dangerous time to be a child in Yemen. Besides facing war, hunger and poverty, more than 25 percent of children are not in school.

But eight-year-old singer Amr Muqbel, known as “The Water Seller,” is different. He attends school in the morning. In the afternoons, he used to sell water to help support his family. Now, he makes extra money singing for weddings, fans and several major Arabic news channels.

“I'm proud he has become a singer,” said Ahmed Muqbel, Amr's 70-year-old father, with tears in his eyes. One of their relatives is a soldier, he added, and Amr used to sing war songs. Now, he sings about love and peace in a country where other children can be forced to join military groups.

Amr first became well-known this year when a local hiker recorded him singing to a group of people. The hiker posted the recording on Facebook, where it received 20,000 likes, loves and sad faces. Since then, the boy appears on Arab media regularly.

Amr's family remains poor, however. He, his mother and his four siblings (兄弟姐妹) still struggle to survive in a small house. But as Amr gains the attention of music professionals, the family hopes his voice will help lift them further out of poverty.

His father wants to go to Lebanon so Amr can try to get into the professional music business. His mother wants Amr to continue to be mentored (指导) locally, so he can sing more often at weddings to increase the family's income. “His songs come out from his heart,” said Mohammed al-Adaimi, a 23-year-old who listens to Amr's songs on YouTube. “He should stay and sing for us and we will support him.” Other local people said they are proud that a young Yemeni is getting international attention. “He is a talented boy” said Mabrouk al-Baqash, who has been listening to Amr sing for eight months. “It's fine to travel to Lebanon.”

1.Why is Amr different from many other children?

A.He has been selling water locally. B.He can go to school all the time.

C.He can sing to support his family. D.He doesn’t suffer from poverty.

2.What can we know about Amr?

A.He can’t go to school and is in danger in Yemen.

B.He can’t help his family out of poverty at present.

C.He makes his father disappointed as a local singer.

D.He has to serve in army because of singing war songs.

3.Who supported Amr to go to Lebanon?

A.His parents. B.Ahmed and Mohammed.

C.Ahmed and Mabrouk. D.His mother and Mabrouk.

4.Which of the following can best describe Amr?

A.Gifted. B.Proud.

C.Far-sighted. D.Well-educated.

    The protected lands of the National Parks are some of the most amazing destinations within the United States to view some spectacular pieces of nature. Many of these parks have fun family-friendly activities, making them great destinations for holidays and summer break. 

Olympic National Park, WA

Olympic National Park is a great destination for families to explore the wild beauty. At this park, visitors will find beautiful beaches, a rain forest, mountains and more. Children will love the wild coastline, with amazing beaches, and a lot of fascinating sea life. The whole family will love the many hiking trails, the wild beauty of the beaches throughout the park, and the wildlife within the forest and mountains.

Yellowstone National Park, WY

Yellowstone National Park is the nation's first national park. Visitors can start at one of the Visitor Centers to learn about the abundant wildlife of Yellowstone. Children will love keeping an eye out for elk and bison while driving and hiking through the park.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore, NC

Located on North Carolina's Outer Banks, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore is an amazing destination for recreating, relaxing and much more. The seashore has many beautiful beaches for the whole family to explore and enjoy. Visitors can spend vacation time searching for shells, birding, kayaking, hiking and more. The Outer Banks are also an excellent spot to go windsurfing, especially on Hatteras Island.

Glacier National Park, MT

Glacier National Park was the tenth national park created in the nation. The park offers visitors the opportunity to explore the amazing wilderness of Montana, through biking, hiking, camping, backpacking, boating and more. The best time of year to visit is the early summer, the region is snowy in the winter and hot in the summer.

1.What can you do in Olympic National Park?

A.Visit the park by car. B.Go boating in the park.

C.Take a camp trip there. D.Enjoy attractive sea life.

2.Which national park has the longest history in America?

A.Olympic National Park. B.Yellowstone National Park.

C.Cape Hatteras National Seashore. D.Glacier National Park.

3.What do Olympic National Park and Cape Hatteras National Seashore have in common?

A.Both have beautiful beaches. B.Both offer bird-watching.

C.Both are in the same island. D.Both provide windsurfing.

阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一个完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。

It was a Saturday afternoon. The color of the sky was changing, first light gray, then dark gray, and finally dark and dense. The wind was blowing heavily, and the trees were swaying in the strong wind. It began to rain cats and dogs. Soon, the road was filled with puddles from the rain.

On such a stormy afternoon, my mother took my five­year­old brother, Christopher, and me to a new big toy store she had read about in the newspaper. “So many toys，” the advertisement had shouted in full and flashy color, “that we had to get a huge warehouse to fit them all！”

Christopher and I couldn't have been more excited. We ran across the parking lot, through the cold and biting rain, as fast as our little legs could carry us. We left our mother outside to battle with the frustrating umbrella, which never worked when she wanted it to. “Christine! Take care of your young brother！” Mother shouted at the top of her voice.

“Christine! I'm going to find the Lego section (乐高积木区)! There's a new pirate ship I want, and I have four dollars! Maybe I can buy it！” Christopher exclaimed and ran off excitedly. I only half heard him. I took a right turn and, to my wide­eyed delight, found myself in the midst of the Barbie (芭比) World.

I was studying a Barbie and doing some simple math in my head when suddenly an earthshaking clap of thunder roared from the storm outside. I jumped at the noise, dropping the doll to the floor. The lights flickered (闪烁) once and died, covering everything in a blanket of blackness. Thunder continued to shake the sky and lightning illuminated the store for seconds, casting frightening shadows on my mind.

注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；

2．部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。

Paragraph 1：

“Oh no，” I thought, “Where's Christopher？”

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Paragraph 2：

“Christine, I'm here.”

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