Connie Monroe clicks a button, turns her wrist and watches as her neighborhood floods. The reed-covered shorelines are first to go. Then, the baseball fields at Fleming Park. By the time seawater reaches the senior center, it has covered streets, flooding more than a dozen complexes that she can see.
Monroe moves her head up and down, side to side, taking in the simulated (模拟的) view. This is what could happen to Turner Station, a historic African American community, as sea levels rise.
“Everything’s underwater. The school is underwater. Our house is underwater,” Monroe says. A frown (皱眉) forms below the virtual reality headset. “Is the water really supposed to get that high?”
Climate change presents many challenges to coastal communities, but one of the most worrisome problems is: how do you show people — and convince them — of a possible future?
“It’s one thing to hear or read the news that sea levels could rise as high as 7 feet in Maryland by the end of the century under worst-case situations, but it’s another to imagine what that will look like in your own backyard,” says Jackie Specht, the coastal science program manager. “And if it’s hard to imagine, it’s hard to face and prioritize.”
Communicating the realness and immediacy of the climate threat is important to climate researchers and those aiming to prevent its causes. But it’s also paramount to communities faced with coming changes that are already unavoidable.
Climate projects need public support and input. That’s why Monroe and other residents at this recent community meeting are being directed to sit in metal chairs, put on virtual reality headsets and watch their homes flood.
Virtual reality is an immersive (沉浸式的) experience that can trick the human brain into thinking it’s real. But tricking people is not the goal of the sea level rise simulation being used at Turner Station, says Juliano Calil, one of the program’s developers.
The goal, he says, “is to help folks visualize the impacts of climate change and the solutions, and also discuss the trade-off between them.”
1.What would you see in Turner Station as sea levels rise?
A.Shorelines covered by reeds. B.Baseball fields used as parks.
C.Streets blocked with bricks. D.Buildings drowned in water.
2.What does Jackie Specht suggest in Paragraph 5?
A.People are relatively safer in their backyards.
B.People don’t feel on the scene through the news.
C.The severity of disaster is beyond imagination.
D.The sea level is bound to rise 7 feet in Maryland.
3.Why is the virtual reality experience provided in the community meeting?
A.To prove climate threat. B.To seek public backing.
C.To help scientific research. D.To introduce VR technology.
4.Which of the following best explains the underlined words “the trade-off” in the last paragraph?
A.The balance. B.The conflict.
C.The business. D.The similarity.
A girl, who made headlines around the world when she survived almost two weeks alone in the Siberian wilderness, has won a Russian children’s beauty contest for her bravery. Karina Chikitova, who clung (抱着) on to her loyal puppy, fought to stay alive in a forest full of brown bears and wolves. The promising ballerina celebrates her 10th birthday on Boxing Day and has already won the Mini Miss Yakutia contest.
In August 2014 she was found after a dozen days and nights lost in the remote taiga, sleeping on a bed of long grass and eating wild berries to stay alive. Karina had followed her father into the woods but he had no idea she was trailing him. Then just four years old, she hugged her puppy Naida for warmth in the shivering (颤抖的) cold before the dog found its way home to a remote village, urging rescuers not to give up, and to go and find the little girl.
Karina’s trial was seen as so remarkable that a statue was erected (竖起) of her and the dog in regional capital Yakutsk. A popular children’s book was also written about her, and her fame as a Mowgli seems to have led this remote village girl to amazing new opportunities. Karina was “excited” after she easily won the Mini Miss contest in a social media poll for her rare experience when she was little, making her a young ambassador for Yakutia, Russia’s diamond region, the coldest inhabited place in the world. She is seen as a promising ballerina, already studying full time in Yakutsk, some 350 miles from her home.
“I want to become a ballerina and dance Swan Lake,” she said. “I have also learned how to play the piano.” Bilingual Karina is doing well at school, where she has a talent for maths, and is learning English to add to her fluent Yakut and Russian. When she was found, her rescuer said: “She was sitting deep in grass, completely silent. I didn’t actually notice her. She saw me and stretched her arms forward. I picked her up. She was dead scared.” Later Karina said: “It was Naida who rescued me. I was really scared. But when we were going to sleep I hugged her, and together we were warm.”
1.How did the girl get lost in the wildness?
A.She traced her father there but he was not aware of it.
B.She was forgotten there by her careless father.
C.She followed her little dog and lost the way.
D.She loved running around and got lost.
2.Why did the girl win the Children’s beauty contest?
A.Her exceptional talent in ballet dancing.
B.Her whole-hearted devotion to academic performance.
C.Her inspiring survival in the wildness.
D.Her impressive charm and prettiness.
3.What can we infer from Paragraph 3?
A.Karina was highly thought of by the public.
B.A best-seller became Karina’s favorite.
C.A statue was built in honor of Karina’s hometown.
D.A handsome amount of money was awarded to Karina.
4.Which words can best describe this girl?
A.Courageous and hesitant. B.Confident and honest.
C.Arrogant and fortunate. D.Diligent and ambitious.
Christmas may be the time of year for giving and spending time with loved ones, but not everyone feels an overwhelming sense of joy when festivities begin. Thousands of Reddit users have revealed the things they hate about Christmas.
PETER: It causes a heavy financial burden.
“Having to spend a substantial (大量的、实质的) amount of money on family members. I have to buy gifts for my grandparents, my parents, my siblings, my wife’s parents and her siblings, the dogs...and one cousin, because we do Secret Santa amongst the cousins. I love Christmas, but it costs me too much!”
MCCAIN: Exams ruin everything.
“In the UK we have our exams in January so that your Christmas holiday can be used to study. I didn’t have an enjoyable break until I finished university.”
SUSAN: Awkward family gatherings.
“Having everyone point out that I’m still single at family gatherings as if I’m unaware.”
JANET: Choosing presents.
“I don’t really want items anymore, so I don’t expect anything on Christmas, but I am expected to give gifts, but I usually just don’t know what to give.”
ELIZABATH: Shopping hell.
“I hate the way people act when shopping for Christmas. It’s almost like Black Friday every weekend at the big stores.”
JACKSON: Feeling like you have to buy presents.
“The pressure of buying gifts. Can’t we just enjoy each other’s company without comparing who bought the better stuff?”
Mr Green: Christmas jingles.
“I pretty much can’t stand most Christmas music.”
Prof Smith: It’s too commercial.
“The commercialization of it. Even as an atheist (无神论者), I think the Christ part has been taken out of it.”
Dr Martin: Putting up decorations too early.
“People put up Christmas decorations way before Christmas.”
CAROL: The office Christmas party.
“My office Christmas party. We have to pay to go and it’s so boring. Saying that you don’t want to attend is like pulling teeth.”
1.Who is possibly forced into a marriage?
A.Dr. Martin. B.JACKSON.
C.SUSAN. D.PETER.
2.What do JACKSON and JANET have in common?
A.They hate to spend much money on Christmas gifts.
B.They have to give gifts to everyone in the family.
C.They are happy to compare gifts while purchasing.
D.They are faced with the problems caused by gift giving.
3.What do we know from the passage?
A.Exams follow the Christmas holiday in Britain.
B.Christmas music makes too much noise.
C.People are clear about what Christmas gifts to buy.
D.Colleagues enjoy their office Christmas parties a lot.
假定你是李华，你从某网站上得知北京机场招募为境外人员检测的志愿者。请你根据以下要点 写一封自荐信。
1、表达意愿。 2、自荐理由。 3、恳请获准。
注意：1、字数100字左右。
2、可以适当增加细节，以使行文流畅。
参考词汇：新冠病毒novel coronavirus
Dear the leaders of Beijing airport,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语 言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧）,并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
When I was young, I used to spend lots of time watch TV. Whenever I got home, all I wanted to do were to turn on the TV. My parents were disappointing with me and didn't allow me to watch TV, so I quarreled to them frequently at that time. Not until a class party I realize I was wrong. At that party each student has to give a performance. All of my classmate had something to perform it except me. I ended up telling a joke at the party, what really embarrassed me. Since then I've attended various classes, such as guitar and dancing. Now, I'm glad I've learned something meaningfully and made many friends.
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
New cars sold in Europe after May 2022 will be required to have 1. variety of new safety technologies. New safety rules from the European Union will require new cars to have ''intelligent speed assistance" systems as standard equipment. Besides, all cars will be fitted with breathalyzers （呼吸分析器）2. won't allow driving if the driver has drunk too much alcohol. 3.（help） avoid accidents, cars must also have 4.（advance） systems to monitor the driver's attention levels.
Around 25,000 people 5.（kill） each year on Europe's roads, and most accidents are caused by human error. The European Commission has announced the new rules recently, 6.（say）intelligent speed limiters alone can 7.（effective） reduce road deaths.
There has been a mixed reaction to the new safety technologies. The European Union said the technologies would make driving much 8.（safe）. It said, “With the new technologies, we can have the same kind of impact （影响）as when safety belts were first introduced. "It added the new safety technologies could save up to 10,500 lives and avoid up to 60, 000 serious 9.（injury） by the year 2030. But many drivers are unhappy with the technologies. They thought 10. would be more dangerous to employ them, since driving requires human judgment.
