Across the United Kingdom, as the COVID-19 crisis has bitten deeper, its citizens have started a new practice: Emerging from self-isolation every Thursday night at 8 p.m. to clap, cheer, and bang pots and pans to show support for the country’s front-line doctors and nurses.
But as the death toll today hit a single-day U.K. record of 980-and with the peak death rate still estimated to be two weeks away-the crisis caused by the scale of the pandemic has been worsened here by a new degree of political uncertainty. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to the hospital on Sunday and has spent his days and nights in intensive care fighting the virus, surrounded by the doctors and nurses of the National Health Service.
The U.K. is not alone in showing new found public affection for key workers, nor in facing an unprecedented public health emergency that has, in Europe, especially affected Italy, Spain, and France. A recent U.K. government appeal for 250,000 volunteers to help the NHS (National Health Service) yielded an army of 750,000 would-be helpers.
But the pandemic finds the U.K. at a politically uncertain moment, as a nation finally emerging from three and a half years of political issue over its chaotic departure from the European Union. A December election that gave a decisive victory to Mr. Johnson and the ruling Conservative Party added clarity to a Brexit mandate and was seen by many as a potential first step in healing deep divisions in Britain’s political and social structure.
Acknowledging the impact of the coronavirus on daily lives, Queen Elizabeth II, in a rare address on Sunday, praised the “national spirit” and thanked NHS and care workers, whose “every hour” of hard work “brings us closer to a return to a more normal time.” Calling on citizens to “remain united and resolute” to overcome the pandemic, she sought to provide comfort. “While we may have still more to endure, better days will return We will meet again,” she said.
1.What contributed to worsening the current crisis in the U.K?
A.The pandemic of COVID-19. B.Political instability.
C.The vote for Brexit. D.The December election.
2.The British showed widespread support to the fight against coronavirus EXCEPT by .
A.clapping, cheering, and banging pots and pans every Thursday night
B.advocating volunteers to help the NHS
C.organizing 750,000 helpers to join the army
D.praising the “national spirit” in Queen’s speech
3.It can be inferred from the passage that .
A.The death toll set a new single-day record and the peak death had arrived
B.Prime Minister Boris Johnson was receiving good medical treatment
C.the COVID-19 has been found in European history
D.Conservative Party has healed the deep political and social divisions
4.Where might the passage come from?
A.A noticeboard. B.A private e-mail.
C.A research paper. D.A newspaper.
Feeding bread to the ducks is a fond pastime for many of us, reminding us of our happy childhood trips to the local park. But did you know that bread actually poses a danger to birds, as well as the environment? Eating it can cause our feathered friends to develop a condition called Angel Wing, which is when too much bread makes birds’ feathers grow too quickly. This additional weight puts a strain on their muscles, causing their wings to twist and drop open, and if not treated fast, they can lose the ability to fly.
“Angel Wing can be remedied if we reach birds before it has developed too severely,” says Caroline Simpson, a trustee of UK charity Swan Lifeline, which has rescued and treated more than 30,000 birds over the last 20 years. “Otherwise the consequence can be awful—such as amputations(截肢)of the wing.” Adult swans can also develop gut and heart disease, so it’s important we do our bit to prevent this by feeding wild birds with the right kind of food.
Bread can also cause harmful changes to the natural ecosystem. Rotting bread at the bottom of rivers and lakes allows bacteria to breed, spreading disease and attracting rats and other vermin to our waterways. It can result in algal(藻类的)blooms and the presence of a mould(霉菌)called Aspergillus too, which has the potential to kill waterfowl(水禽)and other wildlife if it gets into their lungs.
But this doesn’t mean we have to stop fun trips to feed the ducks. Giving birds the right food-like frozen peas, sweetcorn and lettuce leaves-is good for both them and the environment. So, next time you visit your local park, take a healthier alternative with you and do your bit to protect our precious wildlife.
1.The underlined word “remedied” in Paragraph 2 probably means .
A.reduced B.expected C.caused D.corrected
2.Which of the following is NOT a consequence of feeding waterfowl with bread?
A.Harmful creatures will be drawn to waterways.
B.Water birds will be overfed and risk losing their bodily functions.
C.The water will be enriched thanks to the nutrients in bread.
D.The eco-balance at the bottom of rivers or lakes will be disturbed.
3.The purpose of writing this passage is to .
A.stop people from feeding waterfowl.
B.instruct people how to raise waterfowl.
C.warn people of the danger threatening waterfowl.
D.promote a safe and healthy way to feed waterfowl.
I’m originally from Orange County, California, where I had the pleasure and honor of serving as a Newport Beach ocean lifeguard. Whenever I could, I got shifts working the Point. The Point was known for its massive rip currents(退潮流).
So, late in a shift, I was working Tower 15. Two blocks to my right was another guard named Mike, working Tower 17. He called me, “Hey, I got a couple of kids. I gotta go and give them a warning. Keep an eye on us.” I said, “Sure.”
And sure enough, as soon as he hung up the phone and grabbed his buoy(航标), a rip was snapped up under these two kids, and they were getting sucked out. All I saw was two small noses bobbing in the water. Mike was dashing toward the ocean.
By now, the mother of the two kids realized what was happening. She was screaming. I started rushing toward her, but before I was even halfway there, Mike reached the kids.
Mike swam sideways out of the rip current into the clear water and started bringing them in. When I reached their mother, Mike was in waist-deep water. The kids were so exhausted, so Mike was carrying them, one under each arm.
I turned to their mom, “Hey, it’s OK. They’re safe.” I saw her terror start to fade.
She glanced back and got her first good look at Mike. He had a number of really scary tattoos( 纹身), and his shaved head showed the scar he got from a broken beer bottle.Then a crazy thing happened. I saw a new kind of panic wash over her as though there was some new, equally dangerous threat on her kids’ lives. She rushed up to Mike and snatched her kids. Not even a thank-you.
Mike just glanced at me, shrugged, and jogged back to his tower.
If any other guard had worked at that night, including me, there would be a very real chance that that mother wasn’t going home with both her kids.
1.Which of the following words can best describe “ Mike’s reaction to the two kids in danger” ?
A.Rude and aggressive. B.Quick and brave.
C.Careless and risky. D.Slow and cautious.
2.Why didn’t the woman say “ thank you” to Mike?
A.He was rude to her kids.
B.She was too exhausted to say any words.
C.He got tired of being highly thought of.
D.He looked like a threatening guy with tattoos and scars.
3.What information does the author want to convey in the story?
A.Be a friendly and easy-going lifeguard.
B.Watch out for your kids playing on the beach.
C.Don’t let fear or prejudice prevent you recognizing a hero.
D.Never judge a hero by his way of rescuing.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Who got a new phone?
A.Daniel. B.The man. C.The man’s father.
2.What was the main problem of Daniel?
A.He wanted to have a phone like the speaker.
B.He didn’t want the speaker to leave for college.
C.He was sad that the speaker spent less time with him.
3.How old was the speaker when he realized his mistake?
A.15 years old. B.17 years old. C.19 years old.
4.What did Daniel probably want the speaker to do?
A.Think about what he was missing.
B.Turn his phone off for a day.
C.Stop playing games on the phone.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where are the speakers?
A.In Toronto. B.In Vancouver. C.In Manila.
2.How many inches is the snow now?
A.About seven. B.About two. C.About five.
3.What did the man do yesterday?
A.He watched the snow fall.
B.He made a snowman.
C.He cleared the road.
4.What does the woman dislike about the snow?
A.Missing school.
B.Losing electricity.
C.Driving in the snow.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the woman’s speech mainly about?
A.Storms. B.Rising sea levels. C.Dying ocean plants.
2.Which part of the speech is the woman worried about?
A.The introduction.
B.The general speech.
C.The question and answer period.
3.What advice does the man give the woman?
A.To research her topic.
B.To give the speech to others.
C.To look for speech tips on the Internet.
