“There are two kinds of people in the world—people who love Peking Opera and people who don’t know they love Peking Opera yet,” said Wang Peiyu in the opening section of her latest 12-episode (集) online ________. “My job is to let the ________ know about Peking Opera and then fall in love with it.”
The weekly talk show sees Wang, who is one of the ________ Peking Opera artists in China, explain the traditional art form as well as ________ its appeal.
With a( an) ________ of various art forms, including singing, dancing, and martial arts (武术), Peking Opera, has a long history ________ back to the 19th century. In 2010 UNESCO ________ it an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (非物质文化遗产).
Like many traditional art forms, it is ________ by contemporary entertainment and is losing its audience, especially among the younger generation.
Wang is trying to change the ________. She has about 1.6 million followers on micro-blogging platform Sina Weibo and has built up a large fan base among young people with her ________ techniques and charm.
Each episode, about 30 minutes long, ________ Wang introduce her unique knowledge about Peking Opera with a particular ________ such as the making of a Peking Opera star, the ________ of preparing for a performance, and ________ stories about the age-old art. She uses ________ direct and humorous language to ________ the audience.
One fan ________: “All I knew about Peking Opera was the painted ________, but thanks to Wang’s show, I now know more about the art form and I look forward to watching a(an) ________ performance in the theatre.”
The 40-year-old Wang, a famous female performer who specializes in playing laosheng (old male) roles onstage, has been ________ with popularizing Peking Opera among younger people.
1.A.service B.show C.business D.advertisement
2.A.fans B.former C.students D.latter
3.A.hard-working B.best-selling C.warm-hearted D.strong-willed
4.A.display B.win C.change D.understand
5.A.competition B.classification C.combination D.explanation
6.A.dating B.expanding C.looking D.pulling
7.A.named B.declared C.gave D.found
8.A.influenced B.transformed C.challenged D.introduced
9.A.opera B.trend C.world D.performance
10.A.basic B.literary C.strange D.solid
11.A.sees B.notices C.develops D.expresses
12.A.note B.star C.theme D.guest
13.A.aim B.failure C.necessity D.process
14.A.amusing B.confusing C.demanding D.embarrassing
15.A.complex B.professional C.simple D.native
16.A.adapt to B.joke with C.argue with D.appeal to
17.A.consulted B.commented C.compromised D.commanded
18.A.mouth B.eyes C.noses D.faces
19.A.special B.on-line C.live D.academic
20.A.credited B.promoted C.paid D.equipped
Criticism (批评) is harmful to healthy relationships. It’s okay to express disappointment if someone is behaving in a way that hurts you. 1. The following are some ways to catch criticism before it begins.
2. Before you criticize, pause and consider whether you really need to say anything at all. If someone did something to get on your nerves, would you really need to point it out? Sometimes, it’s best to let small rudeness go Take a few deep breaths and leave the room instead of criticizing.
Be realistic. Critical people often have very high expectations of those around them. Your tendency to criticize may come from expecting too much from others. Sometimes you may find yourself consistently annoyed or disappointed with others. 3.
Separate the individual from their actions. Critical people often focus on the negative aspects of a situation or a person, failing to see good qualities alongside negative ones. If you find yourself making assumptions about a person’s character, stop yourself. 4. We all behave poorly sometimes, but a single action is not a reflection of character.
Focus on positives. Oftentimes, being critical results from how you’re choosing to see a situation. 5. However, the vast majority of people have good qualities that outweigh the bad ones. Try to focus on a person’s positive qualities over their negative ones.
A.Never criticize others.
B.Think before you speak.
C.Everyone has drawbacks and imperfections.
D.It may be a good idea to adjust your expectations.
E.We should focus on other people’s disappointing actions.
F.Try to separate a disappointing action from the person doing the action.
G.Being overly critical, however, can cause tension in a relationship over time.
It is believed that around half the US adult population will be obese (肥胖的) by 2030, while one in four will fall into the severely obese category. This is according to a new study led by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, which found that levels of obesity are increasing in every state. Indeed the predictions show that levels of severe obesity could be higher than 25 percent in half of states.
“Especially striking was our finding that among adults with very low income (less than $20,000 per year), severe obesity is predicted to be the most common in 44 states—almost everywhere in the US,” a researcher said.
The research was carried out to inform state policymakers—and perhaps help change the tendency. The study authors say the best form of attack is prevention. Limiting intake of sugar is stressed as one of the most effective and cost-effective methods for reducing obesity levels, and a tax likely to save more money than it costs.
Sugar (and the sugar industry) has come under fire for its role in promoting obesity. Indeed, one recent study published in September 2019 puts responsibility for today’s obesity epidemic (流行病) firmly on the shoulders of sugar, concluding high-sugar diets during childhood in the seventies and eighties could be behind the rise.
“We knew from previous work that obesity is increasing in the US, and that some states and demographic groups (人群) are at higher risk, but we were surprised that even the states with the lowest obesity will be above 35 percent in 2030—a level currently considered high, a researcher told Newsweek. What is clear is that we will not be able to treat our way out of this epidemic—achieving and keeping weight loss is difficult—so prevention efforts will be key to making progress in this area.”
1.What’s the most surprising finding in the study?
A.Over 25% of people will be seriously obese.
B.Levels of obesity are increasing in every state.
C.poor adults are more likely to be severely obese.
D.Half of the US adults will be overweight by 2030.
2.What is the best way to solve the problem according to the passage?
A.To reduce the tax. B.To limit intake of sugar.
C.To reduce obesity level. D.To inform policymakers.
3.What does the underlined word “fire” actually refer to in paragraph 4?
A.Blame from researchers. B.Rapid chemical change.
C.Current obesity epidemic. D.High-sugar diets.
4.What’s the main idea of the last two paragraphs?
A.Obesity is increasing everywhere in the US.
B.All states in America are at the same level of obesity.
C.Maintaining weight loss is a good way to deal with obesity.
D.Diets with less sugar are vital to preventing the problem of obesity.
Researchers have found, for the first time plants letting out sounds when they are stressed. According to a study a team of scientists recorded tomato and tobacco (烟草) plants producing sound frequencies which humans cannot hear in stressful situations—such as when they experienced a lack of water or their stems (茎) were cut.
Previous research has shown that plants respond to stress by producing several visual and chemical signals. For example, stressed plants may differ in color and shape compared to unstressed plants. Meanwhile, some are also known to let out things in response to drought (干旱) or being eaten.
The latest study, meanwhile, is the first to identify plants making sounds which can be detected over a distance. The team detected the tomato plants made 35 sounds an hour on average when they were exposed to drought conditions, while the tobacco plants produced 11. When the stems of the plants were cut, the tomato plants made 25 sounds an hour on average and the tobacco plants produced 15. As a comparison, unstressed plants made less than one sound per hour on average, according to the study.
The team say that while they only tested tomato and tobacco, it’s possible that other plants could also produce sounds, adding that the latest findings could have an influence on agriculture. “Plant sound production could offer a new way for monitoring crops water state—a question of key importance in agriculture”, the authors wrote in the study more precise irrigation can save up to 50 percent of the water cost and increase the production.
“In times when more and more areas are exposed to drought due to climate change, while human population and consumption keep increasing, effective water use becomes even more important for food security”, they said “Our results, showing the ability to distinguish between drought-stressed and control plants on the basis of plant sounds, open a new direction in the field of precision agriculture.”
1.Which of the following best describes plants’ response to stress in the study?
A.Sing. B.Laugh.
C.Cry. D.Sigh.
2.What can we know from the first 3 paragraphs?
A.Humans can hear the sound produced by plants.
B.Stressed and unstressed plants look the same.
C.Plants in stressful situations make the fewest sounds.
D.Stressed tomato plants make more sounds than tobacco.
3.How can the study help agriculture?
A.Lower the cost. B.Better the quality.
C.Monitor climate change. D.Control the pests.
4.In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?
A.Science. B.Health.
C.Education. D.Culture.
I used to be the most determined resolution-maker. Even as a child, I was always goal-centered and loved the feeling of accomplishing things, and every January 1st, I would sit down and write out my resolutions (目标) for the upcoming year. And what resolutions they were! I always picked big goals, like: In the New Year, I will lose 50 pounds! And run a marathon! And study scripture (圣经) every day!
The problem? I’d start out strong, but by February or March, I’d be out of willpower and I’d slide quietly back into my old habits. Every winter, I’d feel guilty and ashamed, looking back at all of the amazing things... I think one of my biggest problems with New Years resolutions was wanting to “dream big” but not having the skills and ability to do those things.
Now I take the opposite approach I’m all about the little goals. First, little goals are easy to set. Instead of saying I’m going to run a marathon, I’ve decided I’m going to run 20 minutes three days a week. Second, little goals are easier to accomplish. Every time I check one of my mini goals off my list, I feel a burst of pride and accomplishment. It’s a great feeling, and I don’t have to wait until the end of the year to enjoy it!
The other great thing about making small goals instead of resolutions is that you can build small goals on top of each other, adding the achievements together. For instance, recently I decided to make sure I ate five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. After a few months, this became a solid habit.
1.Why did the author feel guilty and ashamed?
A.Because she picked big goals as her resolutions.
B.Because she failed to accomplish her resolutions.
C.Because she was looking back at the amazing things.
D.Because she loved the feeling of accomplishing things.
2.How did she change her new year’s resolutions?
A.She put all of her goals together.
B.She checked mini goals off her list.
C.She set small goals instead of big ones.
D.She didn’t make resolutions any more.
3.What did the author want to say in the last paragraph?
A.Small goals are easy to set.
B.Making resolutions is not reasonable.
C.Eating fruits and vegetable is a good habit.
D.Small goal can contribute to big achievements.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Setting Small Goals Not Big Ones B.Combining Big and Small Goals
C.Making New Year’s Resolutions D.Setting and Achieving My Goals
Los Angeles is a relatively new and spreading city, which means there’s a big canvas (画布) for architects of many styles to put their 3D stamps on the city. For architecture fans, here are some must-see spots.
Watts Towers
Designed and constructed by Italian-born Simon Rodia over the course of three decades, the 17 towers—the tallest is 100 feet high—consist of metal and found objects such as broken glass, pottery chips (陶器碎片), seashells, etc. You can take a guided tour of this place, learning about the history of this attractive project. 1727 E. 107th St., LA.
Getty Center
Architect Richard Meier’s shining city on a hill took 16,000 tons of marble to build but today it’s a wonder, housing the Getty’s main art collection and offering unbelievable views of Los Angeles. 1200 Getty Center Dr., LA.
Sturges House
Frank Lloyd Wright designed nine different structures throughout Southern California. This was Wright’s first turn away from the textile (纺织) block buildings he’d been designing in California and toward stressing natural factors of the structure to mix with the natural surroundings. 449 N. Skyewiay Rd., LA.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Frank Gehry has lived in Los Angele s for decade s and hi s world has been se en throughout the city. This one, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, is his most luxurious (奢侈的) building in Southern California. You need not sit through a symphony performance to get a glance at the interior(内饰). The concert hall offers free self-guided audio tours recorded by actor John Litligow. 111 S. Grand Ave., LA.
1.Where should you go to visit Watts Towers?
A.1200 Getty Center Dr., LA. B.1727 E. 107th St., LA.
C.449 N. S kyewiay Rd., LA. D.111 S. Grand Ave., LA.
2.What is special about Sturges House?
A.It is made up of 9 structures. B.It is a textile block building.
C.It fits in well with its environment. D.It is a luxurious building.
3.Who designed Walt Disney Concert Hall?
A.Simon Rodia. B.Richard Meier.
C.John Lithgow. D.Frank Gehry.
