As night approached, we sat around the campfire laughing and teasing one another. Suddenly there came a strange sound. We _______ beyond the fire, into the darkness. My heart began to pound _______. Maybe the cougar(美洲狮)spotted a few days earlier had returned.
Silence took over as we were _______ to see anything beyond the edge of firelight. There was a plopping sound, then a grey _______ moved across the gravel(碎石), just beyond the light.
What was it?We held our breath as the thing again dropped onto the gravel and moved quickly out of _______ .
“Maybe it’s a flying squirrel.” someone said.
There was another plop and _______ near our car. Something seemed odd. What was it?
A friend _______ his camera and waited for the creature to return. It landed again and just as quickly vanished. “It seemed to be _______ too fast,” said our camera fan, “and I was unable to get a _______ of the strange animal.”
He moved to the edge of the firelight, ________ himself for a better shot, then began to laugh. There was a crunching of gravel and from ________ the car’s darkened end emerged Rogers, who camped with us every summer. He carried a fishing rod. On the end of the fishing line was a grey sock, giving it a head and ________. We had all been ________ by a flying grey sock.
All the people burst into laughter. We sat long into the evening ________ past years and other funny stories. Yes, the camping ________ differed every summer but the friendship remained the same as a chosen summer family.
1.A.fell B.rushed C.stared D.jumped
2.A.deeply B.secretly C.lightly D.wildly
3.A.desperate B.critical C.cautious D.accurate
4.A.sock B.creature C.squirrel D.wood
5.A.reach B.date C.sight D.curiosity
6.A.disappearance B.excitement C.birth D.shock
7.A.charged B.grabbed C.examined D.fixed
8.A.growing B.moving C.changing D.sweeping
9.A.greeting B.signal C.picture D.meeting
10.A.catching B.pushing C.positioning D.relieving
11.A.across B.beyond C.through D.over
12.A.fish B.end C.cut D.body
13.A.touched B.attracted C.controlled D.tricked
14.A.regretting B.recommending C.recalling D.interpreting
15.A.experiences B.instructions C.situations D.results
Every year, groups of tourists travel to central US states like Oklahoma, Texas and Nebraska for their summer vacation. 1. They’re going to chase storms.
Once an activity only for scientists and adventurous types, storm chasing has now become an increasingly popular pastime for people from all over the world. 2. Storm chasers analyze weather reports and maps to locate an incoming storm before driving hundreds of miles toward it to witness a tornado in action.
The people going on these tours vary from curious first-time chasers looking for something different to storm chasing “addicts” like Nicholas Lee, a weather forecaster from the UK. 3. Now he saves up his vacation days to go storm chasing for three weeks every summer in the center of the US. It is the place well known for producing massive storms.
4. Since then the activity has continued to grow in popularity. Considering its potential dangers, it possesses, it is obviously not for everybody. And yet, more and more people are coming out doing the storm-chasing tours.
The real dangers of storm chasing are not just being swept up by a tornado. When a large tornado is predicted for the day, a number of storm chasers will drive to that high-risk area, causing serious traffic jams, which makes it harder to access the perfect spot to witness a tornado. The escape routes will be too congested as well. 5. Take the tornado that touched down near El Reno, Oklahoma in 2013. More than 150 people were injured, and 20 killed in it, including Tim Samaras, an experienced storm chaser plus his son and another partner.
Despite the increasing interest in storm chasing, it is still a very non-mainstream hobby.
A.Sometimes it can be life-threatening.
B.He went on his first storm-chasing tour in 2015.
C.But these people are not looking for sunshine or sightseeing.
D.He cannot wait to see that happening at any time soon.
E.Storm chasing was first popularized by the 1996 film Twister.
F.It means going to“high risk areas”where severe weather occurs.
G.How did potentially deadly weather become a popular tourist attraction?
Where the streets smell like cheese: Milwaukee tries dairy waste as de-icer
In response to the winter storm striking the area last weekend, street crews of Milwaukee, a city in Wisconsin, will be spreading cheese brine(卤水)along its ice-covered streets this winter as an alternative of normally used rock salt, which serves as an essential road de-icer despite its damaging impact on the environment.
The trial was inspired by a successful experiment in rural Polk County. In addition to being a more effective de-icer due to a lower freezing point, the cheesy liquid prevents rock salt from bouncing and scattering off roadways, which means less has to be used and less of it ends up entering the surrounding environment.
Milwaukee can make good use of the difficult-to-dispose type of organic waste found in great abundance across the state: salty leftover cheese-making juice. Sometimes you just have to get creative and work with the type of waste byproduct and turn it into something beneficial. When the first cheese brine salt trucks of the city appeared in the street last week, Tom Barrett, Mayor of Milwaukee, compared the act to “thinking outside of the cheese box”.
To be clear, Milwaukee won’t completely replace rock salt with thousands of gallons of salty cheese juice. The project, which will first be tested in Bay View neighborhood, will involve a mixture of rock salt and cheese brine. The brine will be sourced from a production plant owned by F&A Dairy in Polk County. Milwaukee will save in rock salt costs while F&A Dairy, which transforms 900, 000 pounds of milk into cheese every day, will save cash in the brine disposal.
While it is noted that the cheese brine solution has a “distinctive odor.” Emil Norby, the gentleman who originally thought of using cheese brine to treat ice-covered roads, explains that Milwaukee residents can expect to experience the slight bad milk smell once the cheese brine is applied to streets. He smiles, “I don’t really mind it. Our roads smell like Wisconsin!”
1.Why does the cheese brine become an option as a road de-icer?
A.It increases the consumption of cheese. B.It decreases milk byproducts.
C.It is from experiences of Polk County. D.It’s more effective and eco-friendly.
2.What can the underlined idiom in the 3rd paragraph be used to describe?
A.A test with an expected result. B.A trial made creatively.
C.A company benefiting the locals. D.A volunteer who protects environments.
3.What do people think of the project of the city and F&A Dairy?
A.It will make a fortune for the city. B.It will change the life of local people.
C.It will attract more investment. D.It will be a win-win co-operation.
4.How do the locals respond to the smell of cheese brine according to Norby?
A.It will lead to bad appetite. B.It may make them sick.
C.It is still acceptable. D.It cannot be noticed.
It’s generally acknowledged that raising a child has geographic features. A recent survey, for example, looked at the personalities parents wanted their children to have in different countries. The finding was fascinating: Dutch parents focused on rest, cleanliness and routine; Italian parents preferred their children to be even-tempered, well-balanced and likeable; American parents, meanwhile, were more likely to want their kids to be intelligent or cognitively advanced.
The US preference represents the shift in the way American parents raise their children, a transition from the so-called latchkey kids of the 1980s to the helicoptered children of today. With more parents adopting the kind of intensive parenting style common in the US, parenting in European nations, traditionally more relaxed, is changing.
Intensive parenting is a type of parenting that requires a significant amount of time and money, including scheduling children for additional activities, as well as advocating for their needs and talents in communications with schools. It’s not limited to a small circle of parents but the dominant cultural model of parenting in the US.
The increasing fear of inequality makes parents feel the need to help drive their children’s education. The inequality, in their opinions, is making it critical for the kids not to be left behind. And so they will assume a parenting style that is more intense and more success-oriented. Thus the intensive parenting approach has become a parenting style influencing the overall parenting culture in Europe.
The intensification of parenting has consequences for nations, parents and children. One of the problems is that it increases economic inequality. In the 1960s, for example, when there was less emphasis on developing children’s talents and interests, parents across social classes spent similar amounts of time and money on their kids.
Experts also point to the large volume of parenting books, blog posts and articles now available to those raising families. Even if parents are skeptical of expert advice, they are still influenced by it. Turning kids into well-rounded and successful personalities is naturally becoming their life-long pursuit.
1.What does the study mentioned in the first paragraph indicate?
A.A well-balanced child is more 1ikeable in Dutch.
B.How kids are brought up varies from area to area.
C.A kid’s cognitive ability is fixed by geographic features.
D.Being clean is preferred by American parents.
2.What can be concluded about intensive parenting?
A.It needs much involvement of parents. B.It makes kids more relaxed than before.
C.It has been criticized. D.It is out of date in the US.
3.What a possible result can intensive parenting bring?
A.Weakening the ties between parents and their kids.
B.Intensifying the inequality among the people economically.
C.Relieving the depression and anxiety of parents.
D.Meeting a strong protest from most European parents.
4.What’s the best title of the passage?
A.American Parenting Mode Swings Back B.Returning to the Traditional Parenting Mode
C.Parenting Makes Parents over Stressed D.Intensive Parenting Is Sweeping through the US
My mother always told me, “You should explore your own country before stepping out into the world. ”However, it seems like a tough mission to travel all across its expansive surfaces. But luckily for me, Via Rail Canada offered youths between the ages of 18 and 25 the chance to ride the train across Canada for the month of July. The ticket was a bargain $150. My best friends Trevor, Joel and Jeremy and I immediately jumped at the opportunity and secured four tickets on the great Canadian railroad.
For a group of 20-year-olds, this was like the first flight of young birds from the nest. When we approached the train station in the morning, our 22-day adventure from Sudbury to Vancouver was to begin. Eyes baggy from lack of sleep, we jumped on board as if it was the train to Hogwarts in Harry Potter. Although the thought of three full days on those tracks covering close to 3, 000 kilometres crushed our spirits a little, what happened next caught us by surprise.
The three days on board turned into a summer camp on rails. At night, we would climb up the glass-domed train car, which gave us a scenic view of the starry night sky, untouched by the harmful light pollution. Before we knew it, the warm sun rays beating down on our faces woke us up for another day on the rails. To my surprise, a sea of golden grain fields dominated the landscape we were in the Canadian Prairies.
Another day slipped away and we set up for another night in the dome. And this time we were greeted by night sky painted by a fantastic thunderstorm. Lightning was striking at an incredible rate. The spectacular and memorable light show left everyone in the glass bubble in complete disbelief.
Arriving in the Rocky Mountains was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. Before the train adventure, if I could have skipped the travel and arrived at the destination, I would have. That is no longer true. I’ve learned that the journey can be more enjoyable than the destination.
1.What has made the author’s train adventure across Canada a reality?
A.The encouragement given by his mother. B.The appeal of the scenic views in the country.
C.The discount ticket offered by Via Rail Canada. D.His great courage to challenge a tough mission.
2.What can we infer about the young people from Paragraph 2 ?
A.They were excited about the coming train journey.
B.They left their parents for the first time in their life.
C.They never thought of having a train adventure.
D.They were hooked by the magic story of Harry Potter.
3.What does“the glass bubble”in the fourth paragraph refer to?
A.A brain in lack of imagination. B.The glass-domed train car.
C.A summer camp on the train. D.The sightseeing bus.
4.What did the author learn from the train adventure across Canada?
A.Opportunities are hard to get. B.Enjoying a journey counts a lot.
C.Splendid scenery attracts young people. D.The traveling experience is not real to him.
3rd Walk the Talk: The Health for All Challenge 2020
JOIN US VIRTUALLY
World Health Organization(WHO)is taking the 3rd Walk the Talk: The Health for All Challenge virtually this year. In the context of COVID-19, WHO, through several online platforms, will host exercise moments, information sessions, and live chats with experts on topics from physical and mental health to nutrition and healthy ageing.
While the first two editions attracted thousands of participants in Geneva, we hope to reach more people during the virtual edition. We look forward to working with the many partners who have supported the first two editions, including governments, civil society organizations, and scientific and academic bodies.
The event will also celebrate health and be a platform to promote the need for all people to have access to health services and for health champions to demonstrate how they are striving to promote and protect the health of people in their own way.
What is on offer?
The Virtual Walk the Talk will be held over 16-17 May 2020, people invited to join in from their homes wherever they are globally.
It will offer opportunities for people to participate in a variety of virtual, timed events yoga, exercise classes for all ages and abilities, meditation, walking in place(or in locations within the guidelines of your national authorities). The aim is to get people moving for their own health and that of others.
Purposes of the event
●To encourage healthy lifestyles, not only in the context of COVID-19, but as a long-term strategy for good health.
●To recognize the sacrifice of health workers caring for us in our whole life. 2020 has been designated as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, and we are seeing the global importance of health workers in the current response to COVID-19.
1.What is special about the 3rd Walk the Talk compared to the first two editions?
A.It appeals to many participants. B.It offers various events.
C.It is an online virtual event. D.It promotes health services.
2.Who is the 3rd Walk the Talk intended for?
A.Health experts from WHO. B.Governments fighting COVID-19.
C.Scientific medical organizations. D.Ordinary people around the world.
3.What does the event aim to do apart from advocating a healthy lifestyle?
A.To collect more financial supports.
B.To give special recognition to health workers.
C.To set up an organization for the COVID-19 issue.
D.To encourage the sacrifice of health workers.
