The world's best largest bicycle park
Ector Hoogstad Architecten has completed a three-storey bicycle park to store 12,656 bikes below Utrecht Central Station in the Netherlands.
The project begins as part of a wider redevelopment of the area surrounding the city's railway station, and is designed to enable cyclists to ride from the street level to the bike store, from which they can quickly access the station. It is hoped that the project will encourage locals to commute (通勤) using bikes and public transport instead of cars and make Utrecht a more sustainable(可持续的) city.
''Our comfortable bicycle parking is the answer to a major problem in the inner cities worldwide：pollution,'' explained the Rotterdam architecture studio. ''We created such a park that favors cyclists and pedestrians and make scar useless attractive.''
Ector Hoogstad Architecten won a competition to design the bike park at Utrecht Central Station in 2011.The first phase was finished in August of 2017, opening with space for 6,000 bikes. Now completed, the bike park accommodates three levels of underground stores for 12,656 bicycles-overtaking the world's former largest bike parking lot in Tokyo that houses 9,000.
Besides the storage, the project has a repair service and a bicycle hire shop. It also relies on a digital system to guide cyclists to a parking spot that provides the quickest access to the platforms.
The three-storey bike parking sits directly below Utrecht Central Station, accessed by pink cycle lanes(车道) that continue down inside and wraparound the edges of the structure.
The bike lanes connect to the parking across three levels. They are also color-coded(用颜色区分的) to guide cyclists through the space and to their parking lot.
Each parking spot branches off from the cycle paths, designed to provide plenty of space for people to dismount from their bikes without getting in the way of other cyclists. The concept is about speed and safety.
''The building is more than just the basic service system,'' added Ector Hoogstad Architecten. ''It adds an exciting and surprising architectural aspect to the city. Cycling through the garage has become a unique experience-not just another part of everyday life in the city, but almost an attraction in its own right. ''
1.Why do the Netherlands build the bicycle park?
A.To cut down on car use.
B.To promote sales of bikes.
C.To create more public parks.
D.To provide unique public services.
2.What is special about the digital system?
A.It guides cyclists to a parking lot.
B.It offers easy access to bike repair service.
C.It enables people to hire a bicycle.
D.It provides plenty of space for car drivers.
3.What does the underlined phrase ''dismount from'' mean?
A.Get on. B.Get off.
C.Keep from. D.Remove from.
4.What do we know according to the article?
A.There are three large bike stores below the station.
B.Cyclists can park their bikes wherever they like.
C.Each parking spot forks off from the bike paths.
D.The bike park opened with space for 6,000 bikes in 2011.
Pre-school teacher Rosa Ramirez has a special way of asking her students to line up for playtime outside. “Pueden pararse si llevan puesto algo de color amarillo, como una abeja,” she tells them. In English, Ramirez would say, “You can stand up if you are wearing yellow—like a bee.” But this is the half of the school day in which she teaches completely in Spanish.
Students are not confused by her language choice. Most of the four-year-olds wearing yellow stand up as instructed. The pre-school bilingual program at Gates Street Early Education Center in Lincoln Heights is part of a growing number of bilingual education models in California and across the country. Many of them are designed to serve students from Spanish-speaking families, as well as students from other cultures, under growing evidence that learning two languages can help people from all backgrounds become stronger students.
About 3.8 million students in U.S. schools are native Spanish speakers who are not good at English. They make up a large part of about five million students nationwide identified as English language learners. English language learners are the fastest-growing population in schools and the lowest-performing, as judged by achievement tests and graduation rates. Sixty-seven percent of students with limited English skills graduated from high school after four years in 2016, compared with 84% of all students.
Language experts recommend how to improve the situation: more high-quality, long-term bilingual programs can close the achievement gap between English learners and native English Speakers after five to six years, according to research.
The programs can be hard to put into practice. Problems include a debate over the best way to teach English learners, shortages of bilingual teachers, and even the fact that bilingual programs often grow fastest in areas where upper-income parents ask for them. That’s good for children who participate, but it worries people who want to see language-minority students have equal access.
“If we can make children feel more ready and more accepted, then we’ve gone a long way to making them ready to learn, ” says Tara Fortune, an expert in children education.
1.How do the pre-school children react after hearing Rosa Ramirez's words?
A.They all stand up and try to catch bees.
B.Most children in yellow stand up as she asks.
C.They are all happy to wear new yellow clothes.
D.A large number of the children are confused.
2.What is the purpose of bilingual education models in America?
A.To help students from other cultures study.
B.To help students learn as many languages as they can.
C.To make English popular among students abroad.
D.To make students from other backgrounds physically stronger.
3.What is the situation of students who are native Spanish speakers, according to the passage?
A.They make up a small share of English language learners.
B.Sixteen percent of them fail to graduate every year on average.
C.They perform relatively poorly in studies.
D.84% of them can graduate with good scores.
4.What is the bilingual program like?
A.It is not accepted by rich families from other cultures.
B.It is not a good thing if it lasts for the whole life of students.
C.It is common in schools with students from different backgrounds.
D.It is hard to introduce especially with language-minority students.
While silver-glassed mirrors still serve a useful purpose when reflecting your image back to you, some fashion and beauty leaders figured that if you added smart technology to mirrors, they could elevate(提升) the customer’s experience. This vision is now a reality thanks to the significant advances in artificial intelligence(AI), augmented reality (AR), and gesture recognition technology. Several smart mirrors have been created and applied in our daily life.
Wella Professionals Smart Mirror
Wella Professionals Smart Mirror is Coty's version of smart mirror that had won the CES 2019 Innovation Awards. This mirror allows stylists to provide more personalized suggestions. It is able to do a live AR hair color try on and can provide a 360-degree of the style so the customer can see what it will look like from all angles. In addition, using facial recognition technology (FRT), it can search past styles for each customer, allowing the stylist and client to really assess what works and what doesn't.
Memory Mirror
Memory Mirror, a digital mirror created by Memo Mi, combines a full-length mirror with high-tech including a 70-inch LCD, computer and HD camera that can record videos so you can save, share and review your try-on sessions.
Sephora 3D AR Mirror
Sephora is a beauty retailer that offers a 3D augmented reality mirror. Customers trying out different products can move their faces from side to side, and the highlighted eye shadow or lipstick stays where it is supposed to create a very realistic effect. The technology is expected to not only enhance the customer experience but drive sales. When it's easier to experiment with different looks, it makes it easier to discover new products to purchase.
SenseMi’s Virtual Dressing Mirror
While your haircut, hair color and makeup choices are important for your overall look, SenseMi expanded the makeover capabilities to create a virtual dressing mirror, too. The company's smart mirror is used in retail stores, and there's a home version that allows you to “try” on clothes digitally.
Artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality (VR) will help to make retail stores more interactive(互动的) and the online experience more real-life. Perhaps more importantly, with the help of smart mirrors, the days of bad haircuts and color and makeup choices will be a thing of the past.
1.Which technology helps Wella Professionals Smart Mirror search customers' past styles?
A.VR B.FRT C.AR D.AI
2.What do we know about Sephora 3D AR Mirror?
A.It can record customers' try-on sessions.
B.It allows customers to try on clothes digitally.
C.It can provide an all-round image of hairstyle.
D.It helps customers try out products realistically.
3.Which mirror can be used in our home?
A.Memory Mirror. B.Sephora 3D AR Mirror.
C.SenseMi's Virtual Dressing Mirror. D.Well a Professionals Smart Mirror.
''I'd like to play a game. That is so much fun. It's not so very hard to do.''
As soon as I hear ''Simple Simon says put your hands on your head'', I am back in my grandfather's living room on New Year's Day in the early 1970s. It was our family's favorite song to get the party started.
Grandfather's house was the gathering place for my mum, dad, aunties, uncles and cousins to meet up. My mum comes from a big family, so there was always lots of chatter and laughter. Whenever someone told a story they would get up and do all the actions to illustrate it, which was great fun.
Grandfather had a coal fire, so it was always warm, even if it was freezing outside. He sat in his armchair and happily watched everyone dancing while he smoked a pipe.
Once Simon Says had got the party going, other records would follow, such as Sugar, Sugar by the Archies.
Later there would be a sing-along, with everyone taking turns to sing old folk songs such as A Warship Had Landed. I would put my hands over my ears at this one as it was so sad.
Grandfather drove us home as he didn't drink. The road we travelled on was dark. There was one big bump(隆起物) that made us feel as if we were on a roller coaster(过山车). As we approached it, we would shout, ''Go faster, Grandfather! ''
I've been to many New Year parties, but none can match those family get-togethers at Grandfather's. You can keep your Gangnam Style moves—it's much more fun to dance along to Simon Says!
1.According to the text, the song Simon Says _______.
A.was written by the author's grandfather
B.was the only song the author could sing
C.was the first song the author learnt
D.was often played at the author's family's New Year parties
2.What does the underlined word ''illustrate'' in the third paragraph mean?
A.Explain. B.Retell
C.Represent D.Comment.
3.What can we learn from the text?
A.They never sang sad songs at their parties.
B.They were kept warm by a coal fire.
C.The author's grandfather liked drinking alcohol.
D.Smoking was forbidden at the author's grandfather's house.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.A Beautiful Song
B.My Kind Grandfather
C.Unforgettable Family Parties
D.My Happy Childhood
One day I read an article and my life changed forever. I was just back home from_______ when I read an article that was telling the story of people who were_______on US $5 a month. I realized that I _______ more money on my own shopping than a whole village of people.
I asked myself, “What am I doing here? I should be there to_______ them.” That’s the moment I made my final_______ about leaving Turkey and moving to Cambodia. That’s why I decided to open this soup kitchen (救济站) and to finally_______ help. Yes, the country is very_______ but people don’t have the money. Cheapness doesn’t have much_______ unless you have the money. I can feed a village of people with the_______ amount of money that I use to feed myself.
Was I unhappy? No. I wanted to find real__________and it was only possible by making other people happy. It’s the__________thing to see children’s laughter and you will never__________what I am doing here if you don't smile back at a child’s smile. They are such__________creatures that I always want to dance, sing, paint and run around with them. I want to__________their lives. They have such a__________smile in their eyes that it makes me want to stay in Cambodia forever.
I wanted a new purpose in my life. I believe that this is a(n)__________ for everyone nowadays. We see so many__________ stories in the newspapers. That’s why I wanted a(n)__________ and to start my day by playing with kids instead. I wanted to watch these people who look at each other with__________ and smiling faces. If you also wish to help our children and people have a better__________, if you wish to donate, please send us an e-mail: aynebilimben@gmail.com.
1.A.school B.station C.airport D.shopping
2.A.surviving B.acting C.building D.performing
3.A.spent B.borrowed C.lent D.saved
4.A.teach B.encourage C.help D.prevent
5.A.comment B.decision C.request D.attempt
6.A.be busy with B.be anxious for C.be able to D.be proud of
7.A.grand B.rich C.cheap D.clean
8.A.interest B.idea C.impact D.meaning
9.A.same B.large C.small D.great
10.A.reason B.happiness C.target D.truth
11.A.best B.hardest C.cleverest D.politest
12.A.mind B.understand C.forget D.experience
13.A.popular B.cautious C.beautiful D.safe
14.A.copy B.balance C.touch D.control
15.A.pure B.funny C.lucky D.mysterious
16.A.barrier B.entertainment C.offence D.wish
17.A.positive B.admirable C.actual D.terrible
18.A.change B.adventure C.service D.space
19.A.curiosity B.anger C.love D.doubt
20.A.memory B.future C.solution D.argument
阅读下面短文,根据所给情节进行续写,使之构成一个完整的故事。
Alexis Vaughan, 17, sat quietly in the passenger seat of her dad's car. She stared out the window at the Preston, Idaho, cornfields.
Alexis, a high school student, let her eyes lazily scan the landscape for wildlife. Still, she was terrified when a deer came into view about 200 yards in front of them, just a few feet off the road. "Dad, there's a deer, there!" Alexis said, rolling down the window for a better look. It was a three-point buck (雄鹿) — a male deer with sharp, three-pronged antlers (角) on each side of its head.
As the car moved closer, Alexis saw that the buck's head was bent toward the ground. Then she heard a scream. A few seconds later, she saw an arm fly up near the buck's head. Alexis realized the buck was attacking a woman. Sue Panter, a 44-year-old mother, had been out for her morning run. The buck had come out from the tall corn and began following her. Having lived in rural Idaho for years, Sue knew that most bucks got frightened by humans. But this buck edged closer, even when she threw at it with a handful of gravels (石子).
Sue went to pick up a log to use for self-defense, and the buck attacked her. It lifted her with its antlers (角) and threw her into the air. Sue could feel the horns punctured (刺穿) her leg and blood flowed down her leg. Within seconds, the buck had pushed her off the road and into the cornfield.
When Alexis and her father pulled up, the buck was rolling Sue like a rag doll. Alexis looked into the woman's terrified eyes, and before her father had even stopped the car, the 104 pound teenager jumped quickly out of the car and down the slope toward the buck. She was kicking and hitting it to get its attention. Then Michael, her father, who had followed his daughter, wrestled the buck away from the women by holding the antlers.
注意：
1）所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2） 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
Paragraph 1:
Alexis helped Sue up the slope.
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Paragraph 2:
Then she heard her father yell.
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