On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted that 42% of Americans could be overweight by 2030. Our expanding waistlines lead to not only a medical problem, but according to a recent article In The New York Times, it could also endanger personal safety in some situations—in an airplane crash, for example.
The New York Times’ Christen Negroni reports that engineers and scientists are questioning whether airplane seats are adequately constructed to protect overweight travelers. Government standards for airplane seat strength（强度）— first set moe than 60 years ago — require that the seats be made for a passenger weighing 170 pounds (77kg). Today, the average American man weighs nearly 194 pounds (88kg) and the average woman 165 pounds (75kg). Negroni reports:
“If a heavier person completely fills seat, the seat is not likely to behave as intended during a crash,” said Robert Salazar, the leading scientist at the Center for Applied Biomechanics at the University of Virginia. “The energy absorption that is built into the aircraft seat is likely to be overpowered and the passengers will not be protected properly.”
“Nor would the injury be limited to that passenger only,” Dr. Salzar said. “If a seat or a seat belt fails,” he said, “those people who are seated nearby could be endangered from ‘the uncontrolled movements of the passenger’.”
Most complaints about airplane seats focus on their lack of comfort and high ticket price, and whether overweight passengers should be made to buy two seats. But The New York Times’ article brings up another reason to feel anxious about flying. Investigators of the issue got in touch with the airplane seat and seat belt makers, but they refused to comment on the problem. Experts agreed that crash testing should be done with overweight dummies （人体模型）. Both airplane seats and seat belts should be tested, they said.
Fortunately, however, according to Nora Marshall, a senior adviser at the National Transportation Safety Board, the board’s investigators have never seen an accident involving a commercial plane in which the weight of a passenger was a problem.
1.What is the article in The New York Times mainly concerned with?
A. The size of airplane seats and seat belts.
B. Safety of overweight airplane passengers.
C. Airplane crashes involving commercial planes.
D. A medical problem caused by being overweight.
2.Robert Salzar would probably agree that .
A. overweight passengers should buy two seats
B. the government should help produce safer planes
C. standards for airplane seat strength should be raised
D. passengers should know how to protect themselves
3.We can learn from the text that .
A. airplane seat makers have taken action now
B. there are few complaints about airplane seats
C. those seate near the overweight may suffer too
D. only a small number of airplane accidents involve the overweight
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. Why Do Passengers Feel Anxious about Flying?
B. Will 42% of Americans Be OVERWEIGHT BY 2030?
C. When Will the Overweight Enjoy Their Flight?
D. Are Airplane Seats Safe Enough for the Overweight?
Aerial performer Jennifer Bricker was born without legs, but she never let it stop her.
Wrapped in a loop of red silk hung from the ceiling Jennifer Bricker climbs and twists to the music. Her head hangs down and her strong arms let go as she balances on her back, high above the ground a move that’s all the more daring because she has no legs.
Jennifer was a few months old when she was adopted by Sharon and Gerald Bricker. She had big brown eyes, a bright smile, and huge amounts of energy. When a doctor advised her adoptive parents to carry her around in a kind of bucket, they refused.
Jennifer soon learned to walk — and run — on her hands and bottom, and grew up fearlessly climbing trees and bouncing on the trampoline（蹦床） with her three older brothers. “My parents didn’t treat me differently so I didn’t grasp the concept that I was different. I knew I didn’t have legs but that wasn’t stopping me from doing the things I wanted to do.”
At the age of three she was fitted with artificial legs, but she never really took to them — she moved more freely without.
In 1996 the Olympic Games took place in Atlanta. Jennifer loved to watch the women’s gymnastics team, and especially adored the 14-year-old Dominique Moceanu who competed for the US. When Moceanu and the women’s team won gold, Jennifer decided she was going to be a gymnast, too. She took up power tumbling, which involves performing floor exercises down a runway. But Jennifer did not want any allowances to be made for her disability.
At the age of 10 she took part in the Junior Olympics and by age 11 she was tumbling champion for the state of Illinois.
Jennifer now travels the world as an inspirational speaker and acts as an aerial performer.
1.Why did Jennifer determine to be a gymnast?
A. She knew that she was different from others.
B. She wanted to make allowances for her disability.
C. She was eager to participate in the Junior Olympics.
D. She was greatly influenced by Dominique Moceanu.
2.What do we know about Jennifer Bricker?
A. She felt embarrassed without legs.
B. She was carried in a bucket as a baby.
C. She was brought up as a normal child.
D. She lost her legs when she was adopted.
3.Which of the following can best describe Jennifer Bricker?
A. Self-respected. B. Cautious.
C. Sensitive. D. Clever.
Your next ca might drive itself. After years of trials on city streets, driverless vehicles are now nearing the live phase. Last moth, a driverless bus began carrying passengers through Lyon, France, Most in the automobile industry think self-driving vehicles will be on the road by 2020 or before.
Driverless cars will at first be huddled with human-driven cars. But the first places where they will become dominant（统治的）are dense urban areas — precisely the spots most damaged by the automobile age. Many advanced cities are already reducing the role of human-driven cargo. Driverless cars will quicken that process and will bring us enormous benefits.
Driverless cars will reduce accidents by around 90 percent. That’s big—the annual death toll on the world’s roads is about 1.2 million a year. Pollution and carbon emissions will drop, because urban driverless cars will be electric. The old, otherwise they would stay at home most of the time and the disabled and teenagers will suddenly gain mobility.
On the other hand, driverless cars will bring catastrophe. The best thing about the automobile age was that it employed tens of millions of people to make, market, insure and drive vehicles. Over the next 20 years, the mostly low-skilled men who now drive trucks, taxis and buses will see their jobs reduced. Carmakers are especially scared. The few cars of the future might be made by tech companies such as Apple, Baidu and Google. Imaging the impact on Germany, where the automotive sector is the largest industry.
Dramatic change is coming, and driverless cars could arrive by 2020. But governments have barely begun thinking about it. Only 6 percent of the biggest US cities have factored them into their long-term planning.
A decade ago anyone hardly saw the Smartphone coming. It has bought an epidemic of mass addiction. Let’s hope we do a better job of handling the driverless car.
1.The underlined words “be huddled with” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “ “.
A. show up B. exist together
C. get rid of D. take the place of
2.Why can driverless cars reduce pollution and carbon emissions?
A. Driverless cars reduce the number of cars.
B. Driverless cars will be powered by electricity.
C. Driverless cars save fuel by driving themselves.
D. Driverless cars will reduce too many accidents.
3.What’s the author’s attitude toward driverless cars?
A. Doubtful. B. Negative.
C. Objective. D. Worried.
4.What can we know about driverless cars?
A. They will not hit the road until 2020.
B. They will only be used in urban areas.
C. They will not cause any road accident.
D. They aren’t still seriously taken by leaders.
Smart phones are so common these days. It’s a wonder that our pets don’t own one. But they don’t necessarily have to. These four apps will help you take care of your best furry friend from dog training to first aid.
Pet First Aid
Price: $3.99
Pet First Aid helps you provide the basic care and attention that your four-legged friend might need in a medical emergency. The application shows owners how to treat illnesses with helpful videos, pictures and articles on subjects like cuts, wound treatment and more. A section called Pet Info lets you enter in information about your pets including when they had their last vaccinations, any medicines they take, or information about any diseases or conditions your animal suffers from.
Paw Card Pet Tracker
Price: Free
Paw Card helps you keep a record of your loved one’s important information. Use it to record your pet’s medical contacts, vaccinations, identity cards, medical conditions and medicines. Additional characteristics include a drawing showing your dog’s weight over time.
Dog Park Finder
Price: Free
Dog Park Finder helps you locate dog-friendly parks and training locations in your area(USA)locations only). The app includes in formation on more than 2,200 off-leash(无需给狗拴链的) areas, user photos and more than 6，500 reviews, so you can have fun with your dog off the leash.
Dog Book
Price: Free
Dog Book is a social networking application for dogs. Like Face book, users can share with other people what’s going on in their dog’s life, share photos, and find great animal-friendly places to meet up.
1.The app Pet First Aid is different from the other thee mainly in .
A. size B. price
C. application D. position
2.If you want to keep a record of your dog’s weight, you can use .
A. Dog Book B. Pet First Aid
C. Dog Park Finder D. Paw Card Pet Tracker
3.Which one is the best choice if you want to find dog training locations?
A. Dog Park Finder B. Pet First Aid
C. Paw Card Pet Tracker. D. Dog Book
4.From the text we can know .
A. Dog Book users can find off-leash areas
B. Dog Park Finder provides worldwide information
C. Paw Card Pet Tracker records your dog’s information
D. Pet First Aid users can find the nearest hospital easily
假如你是一所国际中学的学生会主席，你校将要举行为期两周的中学生夏令营（8月1日至14日），旨在增进学生对不同国家文化的了解。请你以学生会的名义拟一则通知。
内容包括：1. 活动介绍；
2. 报名要求（英语水平；沟通能力；……）；
3. 报名时间：2017年5月10日至17日；
4. 报名地点：学生会。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2. 通知格式已给出，不计入总词数；
3.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
NOTICE
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The Students’ Union
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Looking back to the National English Speaking Competition I take part in several days ago, I have a lot to share to you.
Firstly, I feel real delighted that I’ve won the first prize in the competition, which makes me to understand the true meaning of the proverb “No pains, no gains”. Besides, I’ve established the friendship with students from all over our country, from which I’ve learned a lot. More importantly, participate in this competition has enabled me to overcome my fear of speaking in public, thus developing my self-confidence. Additionally, I owe much thanks to my teachers and judges. Without his help, I couldn’t have done such excellent job.
To sum up, I will always treasure this meaningful and memorable experiences.
