Buildings can become greener. They can use more recycled steel and can be built in off-site factories，greatly reducing lorry journeys. But no other building material has environmental credentials（认证）as exciting and overlooked as wood.
The energy required to produce a laminated（复合的）wooden beam is one-sixth of that required for a steel one of comparable strength. As trees take carbon out of the atmosphere when growing，wooden buildings contribute to negative emissions by storing the stuff. When a mature tree is cut down，a new one can be planted to replace it，capturing more carbon. After buildings are pulled down，old beams and panels are easy to recycle into new structures. And for improving older buildings to be more energy efficient，wood is a good insulator（绝缘体），A softwood window frame provides nearly 400 times as much insulation as a plain steel one of the same thickness and over a thousand times as much as an aluminium one.
A race is on to build the world's tallest fully wooden skyscraper. But such buildings are still uncommon. Industry disunity，cut-throat competition for contracts and low profit margins（差额）mean that most building firms have little money for greener construction methods beyond what regulation requires
Governments can help urge the industry to use more wood，particularly in the public section. That would help wood-building specialists achieve greater scale and lower costs. Zero-carbon building regulations should be changed to take account of the emissions that exist in materials. This would favour wood as well as novel ways of producing other materials.
Construction codes could be adjusted to make building with wood easier. Here the direction of travel is wrong. Britain，for instance，is banning the use of wood on the outside of tall buildings after 72 people died in a tower fire in London in 2017.That is a nonsense. Grenfell Tower was covered in aluminium and plastic，not wood. Modern cross-laminated wood panels perform better in fire tests than steel ones do.
Carpentry alone will not bring the environmental cost of the world's buildings into line.
1.What's the text mainly about?
A.Wood is the first choice for green buildings.
B.The public section makes good use of wood.
C.Building companies cannot afford greener construction.
D.Steel can reduce the environmental costs of buildings.
2.What does Paragraph 2 focus on?
A.Origins of wood structures.
B.Advantages of wood for building.
C.Reasons for green window frames.
D.Differences between steel and wood
3.Which of the following will discourage greener construction?
A.The races of wooden skyscrapers. B.Strict regulations on materials.
C.The push of the government. D.Fierce industry competition.
4.What can be inferred from the text?
A.Wood is to blame for a big building fire.
B.Britain will lift the ban of using wood on the outside wall.
C.Building with wood is facing an unfavorable situation.
D.The environmental costs of buildings rely on carpentry.
An international team of astronomers in Washington D.C. announced Wednesday it had success fully captured the first-ever image of a black hole and published it.
The picture shows the black hole having a dark center，encircled by a bright orange and yellow ring spreading outward. Black holes are areas in space where gravity is so strong that nothing-not even light-can escape them. They are believed to be formed by collapsed（陨落的）stars. The presence of black holes affects the surrounding environment in extreme ways. They are not easy to capture on camera because they are surrounded by thick dust material and extremely hot gases.
But scientists say they were able to produce the new image from data collected from a series of radio telescopes around the world. Harvard University scientist Sheperd Doeleman，who leads the Event Horizon Telescope（EHT）project，announced the image discovery. "We are delighted to be able to report today that we have seen what we thought was unseeable. We have also taken a picture of it." He explained that the image resulted from a combined effort involving all eight of the EHT radio telescopes working at the same time. It has a mass 6.5 billion times greater than Earth's sun.
Researchers said that the EHT project created an Earth-sized "virtual（虚拟的）telescope" to capture the highest possible image quality. The size and shape of the shadow matches the precise Predictions of Einstein's general theory of relativity.
Sheperd Doeleman said the new image provides the first visual evidence to confirm that theory. It also helps to unlock the mystery of black holes. "We didn't see something that was unexpected. We saw something that really had a ring to it. "
Even though the data was first gathered in 2017, it required a huge effort to produce the image published on Wednesday.
1.Which is True about the black hole?
A.It has a dark surface.
B.It consists of thick dust.
C.It is visible to the eye
D.It swallows everything approaching it.
2.What does the underlined word "They" in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.Black holes.
B.Collapsed stars.
C.Extreme ways.
D.Hot gases.
3.How did scientists get the image?
A.By collecting available data.
B.Through the cooperation of radio telescopes.
C.With the help of a huge camera.
D.From Einstein's general theory of relativity.
4.What does the image discovery contribute to?
A.Uncovering the secret of black holes.
B.Confirming people's wisdom.
C.Testing the function of virtual telescopes.
D.Providing first-hand evidence for astronomers.
Ed Jackson："I want to be the first quadriplegic（四肢瘫痪者）to climb Everest，"
Former Wasps player was told he would never walk again after an accident in 2017.
"It was a lovely day like this and we had a barbecue." Ed Jackson says as he remembers the accident which broke his neck，ended his rugby career and left him paralyzed（瘫痪）with a medical prediction that he would never walk again. "I walked to the edge of a feature pool with a waterfall at one end. I couldn't tell which was the deep end so I dived in，fell straight to the bottom，and hit the top of my head. When I tried to stand up I couldn't. Luckily my dad was in the pool. He's a retired doctor and he knew it was a spinal cord（脊柱）issue."
Jackson survived surgery but was told that his paralysis was almost certainly permanent. "After five days of trying to move my toes with nothing happening，I thought there's a good chance they're right."
"Every night on my own，I imagined what it would be like for my wife to look after me for the rest of my life. If this was going to continue all my life，I would never have forgiven myself." In the dark，his mind was at war with itself. "That fear of the unknown is terrifying. Every day I would stare at my toe and try to move it."
On day six his toe twitched（抽动）！The next few months became a series of his exciting moments. Jackson kept chasing those wins.
Once Jackson could walk he decided to climb Snowdon to coincide with the first anniversary of the accident. On 1 April 2018，with a heavy brace on his leg，Jackson reached the summit of Snowdon.
Climbing is exhausting and dangerous for a quadriplegic but，with his face lit by sunshine，Jackson uncovers a previously secret dream. "I want to be the first quadriplegic to climb Everest. I would love that to be where the story of my recovery ends. And then I just want to go on laughing and living.
1.What was Jackson doing when the accident happened？
A.Barbecuing. B.Swimming.
C.Playing rugby. D.Diving.
2.What do we know about Jackson?
A.He was able to walk six days later.
B.Doctors' prediction had no effect on him.
C.The accident left him deadly injured.
D.He climbed Snowdon to repay his family's concern.
3.What might be the main drive for Jackson to get better?
A.His father's first aid. B.The successful surgery.
C.His affection for his wife. D.His desire to climb.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.An Accident to Change a Man B.A Quadriplegic to Climb Everest
C.A Secret Dream to Success D.A Man Crazy About Climbing
So you're going to the royal wedding！Let's review a checklist of everything you'll need to know.
What to wear at the ceremony
Did you get your fascinator yet？That's a trick question because you probably don't even know what a fascinator is. Royal dress code etiquette（礼仪）states that women must wear hats for formal events，and fascinators are the preferred accessory（配饰）.These funny hats boast a large decorative design. If you haven't packed one，no worries. Simply glue a cabbage to the side of your head. No one will be the wiser，and you can always snack on your fascinator should the wedding ceremony drag on. Gentlemen are expected to wear morning coats and top hats. Royals will likely wear their military uniforms.
Meeting the royals
Men, when greeting the royals, a simple bow will do. Not so low that it looks as if you're examining the carpet for any medals they might have dropped. This is a slight neck bow. Women perform a curtsy. Simply put one leg behind the other, bend your knees, bow your head slightly -and fall over because you've never done this before.
Chatting up the queen
The first rule of talking to the queen: Don't talk. That is, unless spoken to. If she does start a conversation and you find you've run out of interesting stuff to discuss after "Hello," break the ice with a joke "Hey, why did the queen go to the dentist? To get her teeth crowned!"
Dining
Every meal begins and ends with the queen. You can't start eating until she starts，and you stop when she stops. The queen doesn't appear to be a large eater，so you should wolf down your food in case she push the plate away after a few bites，When dining，the royals hold knives in their right hand and forks in their left with the tines facing down. Should they spill（洒落）even a pea，they drop one spot in the royal line of succession.
1.What do women prefer for the royal wedding？
A.Morning coats. B.Military uniforms.
C.Hats with fascinators. D.Cabbages.
2.What behaviour is proper at the ceremony?
A.Performing a deep bow or curtsy.
B.Finishing the meal with the queen.
C.Chatting with the queen freely.
D.Dropping a pea while eating.
3.What is the main writing characteristic of the text?
A.Humorous. B.Serious.
C.Plain. D.Official
Translation
1.自上月以来， 校方收紧了对学生课堂考勤的监管。 (tighten)
2.从树后突然冒出来个行人， 吓得司机赶紧急刹车。 (emerge, frighten)
3.我警告他拔牙很可能会很疼但是也别无选择。(warn, likely)
4.1865年，贵族出生的罗伯特·李将军被任命为南方军总司令。 (origin, appoint)
5.中国大陆的投资环境比越南要好很多，这一切都归因于我们的依法治国。 (superior, owe)
Directions: Read the following passage and fill in the blanks to compete the summary. No more than seven words for each blank.
Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
The sport you choose may 1..Some sports are 2., like golf, which not only 3., but 4. as well, doing damage to environment; while others 5., like the power walking, which is 6.. Thus 7. you choose to do, use 8..
