Boyan Slat is 26. If you saw him walking down the street, you might think he was just a student at a local technical university. And so he was, seven years ago, right before he _________ out of college.
Slat’s life began to _________ after a holiday trip to Greece with his family when he was 16. Before taking a diving course, he had _________ to see beautiful sea animals. However, what he _________ saw in the ocean was an awful lot of _________ waste. From that moment on, Slat dived into a _________ to find a solution to this alarming problem. _________ by the idea for a floating barrier that could collect plastic in the oceans, he _________ his company at the age of 18. Although the idea was named one of the best _________ of 2015 by TIME magazine, he received __________ feedback from the specialists in __________ issues.
Slat was not __________ and continued with his mission. After five and a half years’ hard work, he launched the world’s __________ ocean plastic cleanup system: System 001. The U-shaped pipe, about 609 meters in __________, snakes its way out under the Golden Gate Bridge into the Pacific. These floating barriers will capture (捕获) plastic as the ocean water flow past. Ships will collect the waste and bring it to land for __________ every few months. According to Slat, if all goes to plan, only 60 systems could __________ the amount of plastic there by as much as 50 percent by 2025.
__________, there remains a problem: what will happen to the plastic brought back to shore from Slats systems? It’s likely that lots of the waste will __________ be recycled into more single-use plastics that end up back in the __________. That doesn’t mean Slat will __________. “Big problems require big solutions,” he says. “If anyone has any better ideas, I’d love to know.”
1.A.ran B.dropped C.studied D.grew
2.A.change B.improve C.suffer D.worsen
3.A.failed B.managed C.started D.expected
4.A.suddenly B.actually C.probably D.rarely
5.A.medical B.industrial C.plastic D.agricultural
6.A.project B.book C.lake D.river
7.A.Troubled B.Amused C.Frightened D.Struck
8.A.left B.founded C.sold D.introduced
9.A.inventions B.results C.wishes D.barriers
10.A.positive B.valuable C.negative D.immediate
11.A.legal B.social C.political D.environmental
12.A.discouraged B.abandoned C.pleased D.surprised
13.A.largest B.best C.first D.fastest
14.A.width B.length C.height D.depth
15.A.burning B.burying C.recycling D.testing
16.A.increase B.reduce C.keep D.limit
17.A.Besides B.Therefore C.However D.Otherwise
18.A.eventually B.certainly C.rapidly D.carefully
19.A.ships B.mountains C.dustbins D.oceans
20.A.give back B.give in C.give out D.give up
How to Increase Your Distance in Long-Distance Running
Running long distances is a great way to get in shape, reduce stress, and feel great. As a result, many people come to love this form of exercise. 1. Here are some suggestions that might be of great help.
Commit to a training plan. To help you run longer, choose a training plan that works for you. It will help you increase your mileage (里程) gradually so you’ll be able to avoid injuries and build your endurance. 2. Then you’ll be able to mentally and physically prepare.
3. To help you mentally get through your runs and increase your distance, try thinking of your run as having multiple sections. Once you finish with a section, you will be motivated to keep going through the next one. If you have an exercise tracking device, you can break up your run by keeping track of your distance on your phone, watch, or other devices.
Increase your mileage gradually. To avoid getting tired or injured, add mileage to your runs gradually. It is suggested that you increase your mileage by only about 10% each week. 4. While it is great to push yourself, you need to give your body time to adjust.
Take breaks when you need them. While your goal may be to complete your long distance run without stopping, it is more important that you listen to your body and take breaks. You can choose to walk, drink water, or eat a quick snake when necessary. 5.
A.Break up your run into sections.
B.They will allow you to recover and run for even longer.
C.Before running, however, remember to prevent injuries.
D.It also lets you know what distance you have coming up.
E.Keep track of your distance on an exercise tracking device.
F.However, it can be hard for both experienced and new runners.
G.The majority of running injuries occur because of over-training.
For the past 3000 years, when people thought of money, they thought of cash. From buying food to paying bills, day-to-day dealings involved paper or metal money. Over the past decade, however, digital payments have taken off—tapping your credit card on a machine or having the QR Code (二维码) on your smart phone scanned has become normal. Now this revolution is about to turn cash into an endangered species in some rich countries. That will make the economy more efficient, but it also brings new problems.
Countries are getting rid of cash at different speeds. In Sweden the number of retail cash transactions (交易) per person has fallen by 80% in the past ten years. Cash accounts for just 6% of purchases by value in Norway. Britain is probably four or six years behind it. America is perhaps a decade behind. Outside the rich world, cash is still king. However, in China, digital payments rose from 4% of all payments in 2012 to 34% in 2017.
Cash is dying out because of two forces. One is demand—younger consumers want to enjoy their digital lives with payment systems. But equally important, suppliers such as banks and tech firms are developing fast, easy-to-use payment technologies from which they can pull data and pocket fees.
In general, the future of a cashless economy is excellent news. When cash payments disappear, people and shops are less likely to be stolen. Besides, digitalisation greatly expands the playground of small businesses by enabling them to sell beyond their borders. It also creates a credit history, helping consumers borrow. Yet it is not without problems. Electronic payment systems may suffer technical failures, power blackouts and cyber-attacks. What’s more, in a cashless economy the poor, the elderly and country folk may be left behind.
1.What do we know about digital payments in paragraph 1?
A.They've been used in daily dealings for 3000 years.
B.They have become popular in the past ten years.
C.They can only be made on the smart phones.
D.They are leading to cash's dying out worldwide.
2.Which country is the slowest in getting rid of cash?
A.America. B.Britain. C.Sweden D.Norway.
3.Which of the following would the author most probably agree with?
A.Cash payments are less likely to disappear.
B.Digitalisation enables small businesses to sell nationally.
C.Customers can have their credit history built through digital payments.
D.Digital payments may benefit the poor, the elderly and country folks.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.The future of a cashless society. B.The rising of digital payments.
C.The reasons for cash being endangered. D.The development of payment technologies.
The year 2019 was a year of teen power. Young people spoke up about big problems and adults began to listen. Greta Thunberg, the seventeen-year-old Swedish schoolgirl, was perhaps the most powerful example last year of this teen power. At the U.N. Climate Action Summit in September 2019, she told world leaders, “You are failing us young people” by not taking enough action against climate change. Greta gained worldwide attention for her impassioned (激昂的) speech and was named Time magazine's 2019 Person of the Year.
In the United States, teen groups have formed organizations to pressure politicians into changing gun laws to stop school shootings. “The adults know that we’re cleaning up their mess,” says Cameron Kasky, an 11th-grader who started the NeverAgain movement after surviving the deadliest high school shooting in American history in 2018. “It’s like they’re saying, ‘I’m sorry I made this mess’, while continuing to spill soda on the floor,” adds another survivor Emma González.
These problems are not new and politicians have been dealing with them for years. However, as with the most big problems, there are no easy solutions, and each solution may create more problems. Fighting climate change by reducing fossil fuels (化石燃料)-no more cars, airplanes or big industries-can have a negative effect on people’s lives and even increase poverty. And prisons would fill up quickly if we locked up every person who was considered to be a potential criminal.
Teen power is a good thing. However, it will take more than youthful passion to solve the world’s problems. If you are also ambitious to make the world a better place, it is important that you speak up when necessary. But just as important is the need to grow in our learning-to study and to always remain humble（谦卑的）. Apart from enthusiasm for bringing about change, you still need the maturity, wisdom, knowledge and skills to make good decisions.
1.Why does the author mention Greta Thunberg in paragraph 1?
A.To show the success of teen power.
B.To inform readers of 2019 Person of the Year.
C.To introduce the U. N. Climate Action Summit.
D.To encourage readers to speak up about big problems.
2.What does the underlined phrase in paragraph 2 mean?
A.The adults like soda very much.
B.The adults fail to clean up their mess.
C.The politicians haven't stopped making a mess.
D.The politicians have been working on the shooting.
3.What is the author opinion about reducing fossil fuels?
A.It makes no difference to people's life.
B.It will bring about other new problems.
C.It will make the prisons fill up quickly.
D.It is effective in fighting climate change.
4.What does the author want to stress in paragraph 4?
A.Teen power is a good thing to change the world.
B.Passion is important in solving the world's problems.
C.We should speak up to make the world a better place.
D.We need to study to be mature and wise to decide well.
Last night one of our 3 family dogs was hit and killed by a car in front of my mother’s house. The dogs became more or less, my mother’s children after her human children grew up and moved out and my father ran with a midlife crisis and left her. The one that was killed had bonded with my mom far more than the others. She is shocked and upset. I loved the dog, but my true sadness currently results from having to watch my mother experience another tragedy after everything she has been through in her life.
In the midst of all of this I have to sincerely applaud the driver of the vehicle, which feels wrong, but it's not.
I’ll start by stating it was not his fault. The dog chased(追赶) a deer into the road at night. In an effort to not hit the deer with his car he changed direction suddenly, not seeing the dog, leading to her deaths. He could have very easily continued on his way, but he did something that I hope I never forget. He did the right thing (in my eyes). The driver pulled over, carefully wrapped our dog in a blanket he got from his car, and carried her up to my mother's front door.
He was visibly shaking and very upset. He informed my mother of what happened and she broke down immediately. He consoled her the best a stranger could and waited with her while my sister rushed to her house. He left his information and offered assistance in anyway he could.
Yes, he is the man who hit and killed our dog-accidentally. What he really did was sparing my mother from discovering unexpectedly a horrible scene herself while searching for the dog. He had so many choices. Choices that were far easier than what he chose. He did the right thing and for that, thank you, stranger. You recovered my faith in humanity.
1.What can we learn about the author's mother?
A.She has suffered a lot in her life. B.She has grown up with her dogs.
C.She misses her husband very much. D.She has three dogs killed in an accident.
2.What's the author s attitude towards the dog-killer?
A.Doubtful. B.Indifferent. C.Critical. D.Praising.
3.What does the underlined word “consoled” in paragraph 4 mean?
A.Encouraged. B.Followed. C.Comforted. D.Helped.
4.What is the best tide for the text?
A.An Unfortunate Accident B.Sadness over a Dog’s Death
C.An Easy-to-Make Choice D.Faith in Humanity Recovered
Art, Culture & Performances in Arizona
Art on the Wild Side
Three of Arizona’s favorite painters will exhibit their latest works inspired by the natural world in their unique styles. Through this exhibit, guests can in the Zoo’s mission to care for the natural world.
Date: February 1-April 31, 2020
Location: 455 N Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix, AZ 85008
Price: $90
Always... Patsy Cline
Always... Patsy Cline is a musical play, complete with country humor, true emotion, and even some audience participation, includes many of Patsy’s unforgettable hits such as “Crazy” “I Fall to Pieces”, “Sweet Dreams”, and “Walking After Midnight”... 27 songs in all!
Date: June 14-21, 2020
Location: Hale Theater, 50 West Page Avenue, Gilbert, AZ 85233
Price: $65
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Best friends Valentine and Proteus choose different paths in life only to run into each other again when they both fall in love with the same woman. The Two Gentlemen of Verona is one of Shakespeare's earliest plays, his first comedy and also one of the most rarely performed plays in the canon.
Date: July 18-25, 2020
Location: Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre, 7014 E Camelback Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Price: $28
Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore is giving a concert in our city! She is touring to support her upcoming album. Mandy's seventh studio work Silver Landings set to be released on September 6.
Date: September 27-October 3, 2020
Location: 111 N 3rd St Phoenix, AZ 85004
Price: $42
1.When can you go to an exhibition of paintings?
A.In March. B.In June. C.In July. D.In September.
2.Where can you go if you are interested in Shakespeare’s plays?
A.Art on the Wild Side. B.Always... Patsy Cline.
C.The Two Gentlemen of Verona. D.Mandy Moore.
3.How much will you pay if you want to enjoy a concert?
A.$28. B.$42. C.$65. D.$90.
