Encouraging life to bloom in the middle of a desert is no easy task. But one company, The National Advisor Bureau, in the United Arab Emirates has come up with a unique plan to provide drinking water for the state’s citizens. The firm intends to pull icebergs from Antarctica to the gulf coast in order to harvest its billions of gallons of fresh water. One iceberg could provide enough for one million people over five years, according to the company. And the scheme could begin as early as the start of 2018.
The firm’s director says they have already travelled the transportation route and used simulators to check the practicality of the scheme, according to reports in Gulf News. Speaking to the site about what he is calling the UAE Iceberg Project, Abdullah Mohammad Shehi said: “we predict that it will take up to one year to tow (拖拉) an iceberg to UAE.” We have made the technical and financial plan. Towing is the best method. We will start the project in beginning of 2018. “We want it mainly for the water. It could also be good for tourism and the weather.”
The UAE is one of the most dry countries and one of the top 10 most water-scarce in the world, due to its extremely dry climate, which receives less than four inches (100 mm) of rainfall per year. Despite that, it consumes more water than double the global national average, putting the country at severe risk of droughts over the next 25 years. An average iceberg contains more than 20 billion gallons of water, according to the Abu Dhabi-based company. They take a long time to melt as 80 percent of their mass is underwater, while the white ice above reflects sunlight, reducing its heat. Upon arrival at a specially constructed processing facility, workers will “mine” the icebergs for their water supplies. Blocks of ice will be sliced and placed in giant tanks, before being filtered and processed. “This is the purest water in the world”, Mr Al Shehi added. He also claims the iceberg’s presence could provide a more moist micro-climate in the area, perhaps even prompting rainfall. And the project may prove a boost for tourism if it proves a success, with people travelling to see the unusual sight of an iceberg off the coast of the Arabian Gulf.
1.What is the main purpose of The National Advisor Bureau’s scheme?
A.To boost tourism and ease financial burden in UAE.
B.To save endangered wildlife and boost tourism in UAE.
C.To make drinking water accessible to the people in UAE.
D.To get the purest water in the world for the citizens in UAE.
2.What does the underlined word simulator in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.A type of mining tool to carve out the iceberg.
B.An electronic device to create and store energy.
C.A vehicle to transport the iceberg from Antarctica.
D.A piece of equipment to test potential conditions.
3.Which of the following helps slow down the melting of iceberg during transportation?
A.The special electronic devices to keep the iceberg frozen.
B.The time of processing iceberg before being transported.
C.Much of the iceberg lying under water with ice above reflecting light.
D.The floating of the iceberg in the seawater with a more moist micro-climate.
4.What is the author’s attitude towards the plan?
A.Favorable. B.Cautious. C.Ambiguous. D.Disapproving.
Choosing a name for a child is often a headache for parents, but new research shows that picking well could be more crucial than previously thought.
Academics have found that your first name actually changes the way you look. For example, someone called ‘Bob’ is expected by society to have a rounder and happier face than a man called ‘Tim’. That expectation eventually leads ‘Bobs’ to become more social, while ‘Tims’ may appear thinner and reserved. The connection may be linked to the “bouba-kiki” effect which suggests that across languages, rounder and smoother objects are labelled with rounded ‘bouba’ sounds, while thinner pointed objects have ‘kik’ sounds. Likewise ‘Winstons’ are believed to be feeling blue, while ‘Marys’ are considered to be moral, both traits which may change appearance, and over time, change face shape. And a woman named ‘Katherine’ is considered to be more serious and dependable than a girl named ‘Bonnie’. Such cultural expectations may encourage ‘Katherines’ to be more studious and academic, which could gradually influence the development of facial muscles, perhaps through increased concentration.
“Prior researches have shown there are cultural stereotypes attached to names, including how someone should look,” said lead author Dr Yonat Zwebner, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “For instance, people are more likely to imagine a person named Bob to have a rounder face than a person named Tim. We believe these stereotypes can, over time, affect people’s facial appearance.”
To find out if face shape was linked to name, researchers conducted eight studies to see whether it was possible for strangers to correctly identify the names of people simply by looking at their faces. In every experiment, the participants were significantly better (up to 40 percent accurate) at matching the name to the face than random chance (20-25 percent accurate) even when nationality, age and other socioeconomic variables were controlled for. “Together, these findings suggest that facial appearance represents social expectations of how a person with a particular name should look. In this way, a social tag may influence one’s facial appearance,” said co-author Dr Ruth Mayo.
1.What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?
A.How your name sounds simply counts.
B.Your name may tell how you look.
C.Social expectations determine your name.
D.It’s important to concentrate on facial muscles.
2.What can we learn from the eight studies?
A.Most of the participants match the name with the face correctly.
B.The findings are contradictory to those of the previous research.
C.They are based on the data from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
D.The findings are similar to those of the previous research.
3.According to Dr Ruth Mayo, one’s facial appearance is basically affected by ___________.
A.social expectations B.the experience of their life
C.their parents’ preference D.the meaning of their names
Understanding the context for the Ebola outbreak: What went right, what went wrong, and how we can all do better. Like no other event in recent history, the 2014 Ebola outbreak has made clear the fragility of existing health systems. While responding to the current epidemic is critical, we also have an opportunity to learn lessons to prevent the next global health catastrophe, create partnerships across borders and disciplines, and demonstrate our commitment to value all human lives.
This four-week course provides the context in which to understand the Ebola outbreak-why now, and why did so many people suffer and die? The course lays out the global governance structure -what was the global response supposed to look like, and where did it fail?
The course will feature experts and scholars who will focus on cultivating a better understanding of the Ebola epidemic and implications for future health systems to ensure that the world is more effective in preventing the next epidemic .
1.What can we learn from the text?
A.Learners will learn to attend patients with epidemic effectively.
B.Learners should pay extra fee to gain a verified certificate.
C.Learners should spend no more than 10 hours during the whole course.
D.Learners will follow a fixed schedule and should be good at English.
2.The course is designed to _________.
A.prevent the next pandemic B.understand the 2014 Ebola
C.improve health systems D.provide academic support
One spring, two friends and I sought permission to plant a garden. Our school was located in the downtown area of a large city. There wasn’t_______of a backyard._______ , it was our garden, a stone-covered dirt parking lot with no extra space. However, we carefully_______taking into account the area that received the best sunshine.
The three of us_______the headmaster with our plan for a small area to plant some squash, tomatoes and cucumbers. The only real _______ involved was to rent a rake(耙), a pickax(丁字镐), and a hoe(锄头). However,_______ the headmaster’s permission would still be difficult. We will never forget his _______ to our request. With a slightly bored tilting (偏斜) of his head, he _______ replied, “ You are wasting your time. Nothing will ever grow there! But go ahead _______ you still want to.”
We had received permission_______ ! So what if it wasn’t enthusiastic? We rented tools, raked four inches of stones into neat walls _______ the garden, raised the pickax and _______what must have been a former waste area. A gardener dream-dark, rich soil just sitting there_______ to be discovered. We looked at each other, repeating together: “Ah, nothing will grow there.” As you might have_______ by now, things did grow there in our garden.
Have you ever _______ that way about your life-Nothing will grow there… Have you felt _______ about your life’s progress? Worried about crop failure? Disappointed that nothing good ever seems to _______ ? Don’t believe that “Nothing will grow there”. It’s never too _______ to be who you might have been. You may not always see the _______ for growth, but it is there. All the rich soil you need may be left just _______ the surface, but can only be discovered after you begin digging.
1.A.more B.little C.much D.less
2.A.Suddenly B.Now C.Again D.Actually
3.A.carried out B.laid out C.gave out D.made out
4.A.greeted B.ignored C.approached D.lectured
5.A.cost B.reward C.bargain D.bonus
6.A.allowing B.getting C.granting D.adopting
7.A.promise B.tease C.response D.result
8.A.warmly B.coldly C.readily D.hesitantly
9.A.if B.unless C.even if D.as if
10.A.at most B.at least C.at first D.at last
11.A.separating B.setting C.establishing D.outlining
12.A.carved B.landed C.struck D.smoothed
13.A.waiting B.staring C.glancing D.lying
14.A.wished B.guessed C.liked D.planned
15.A.lost B.made C.followed D.felt
16.A.discouraged B.excited C.puzzled D.awkward
17.A.go up B.bring up C.come up D.pile up
18.A.hard B.easy C.early D.late
19.A.potential B.foundation C.vision D.strategy
20.A.beyond B.beneath C.above D.off
—I lost five pounds just after a week on this new diet. It's definitely worth a try.
—Right, _____. I definitely need to get in shape for my school reunion.
A.You have my words B.I don’t buy it C.You’ve sold it to me D.I just can’t help it
Beijing has abandoned setting a specific GDP target for this year and shifted its policy priority to ensuring employment, people’s livelihoods and the ________ of businesses.
A.survival B.proposal C.approval D.arrival
