Japan is a mysterious land of technological wonders, but the latest is a relatively simple solution to an age-old problem faced by beginners and professional chefs alike.
Grocery stores across the country are about to start stocking onions that won’t make people cry. The new tear-free onion is called the Smile Ball, which is a pretty adorable name for a vegetable, and it’s an onion carefully engineered to not irritate (刺激) the eyes of people who cut into it.
Regular onions release a gas when their cells are damaged and that gas irritates people’s eyes and make them tear up. The Smile Ball onions release no such a gas, so they can be chopped easily. They are also sweet like fruit when eaten raw.
The scientific advancement of the tearless onion is not free, however. Smile Balls, developed by the Japanese producer House Foods, will cost about $4.30 for a pack of just two when they go on sale in supermarkets across Japan. That’s about double the cost of a normal onion, but it might be worth the extra money for those who are particularly sensitive to traditional onion gas. Earlier test sales of the tear-free onions were held in Tokyo, with the onions selling out quickly.
1.What do the people say about tear-free onions?
A. They’re too expensive to afford.
B. They’re sweeter than candies.
C. They're especially suitable for kids.
D. They’re worth buying, though expensive.
2.What can we learn about the Smile Ball?
A. It never gives off a strong gas.
B. It has a pretty look.
C. It belongs to a new kind of fruit.
D. It rarely goes bad.
3.What’s mainly discussed in the last paragraph?
A. How to produce tear-free onions.
B. Tearless onions are more popular.
C. The development of House Foods.
D. People are sensitive to tearless onions.
4.What can be the suitable title of the text?
A. Say Goodbye to Regular Onions
B. Tear-free Onions vs Regular Onions
C. Onions That Don’t Make You Cry
D. The Future of Tear-free Onions
When I was in college, I spent a semester studying abroad at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. In my brief time there, I came to love Scotland for its local culture, food and scenery.
You might think, “Scotland isn’t so different from the US; they still speak English there!” But when I stepped off the plane, I was greeted by a gruff-voiced(声音粗哑的) lady at customs. “You’ll be coming from America, then?” She asked me, and I nodded. “But all of our guys are leaving Glasgow for the States!” Her thick Scottish English and sense of humor were obvious right away. I was not in the US any more, where customs agents never joke around.
As I settled in at the university, I could feel myself getting used to hearing—and even speaking—the Scottish English of my customs agent. In classroom discussions, people would say “em” when they couldn’t think of what to say instead of “um”, which was great fun. After the first few weeks, I stopped chuckling about this. Strathclyde students stayed up late into the night, running around campus and shouting, “Go! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go [curse word] Glasgow!” Pretty soon, I was no longer saying “thanks” at the supermarket—instead, I said “cheers”.
My Scottish friends drank whiskey and ate haggis(羊杂碎布丁). I drank plenty of whiskey but felt ashamed to admit that I wasn't brave enough to try haggis. Scottish bakeries usually sell bridies (肉馅饼). Add a cup of tea—though I usually Americanized it by choosing coffee instead—and a bridie makes for a delicious breakfast.
Every time I took a train anywhere in Scotland, I’d gaze out at the rolling hills and wonder if grass was greener than anywhere else in the world. Then I’d reflect that there’s a reason this country was the birthplace of golf.
1.What did the author think of the lady at customs?
A. Impolite. B. Friendly.
C. Serious. D. Calm.
2.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “chuckling” in Paragraph 3?
A. Talking loudly. B. Comparing.
C. Laughing quietly. D. Hearing.
3.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A. To explain why Scotland was famous for golf.
B. To promote the development of Scottish catering trade.
C. To introduce different pronunciations of “em”and “um”.
D. To share his experiences in Scotland as an exchange student.
XXX: The Return of Xander Cage
Release date: January 20,2017
Starring: Vin Diesel, Ruby Rose, Nina Dobrev, Donnie Yen, Kris Wu
Rating: ★★★★
Plot: Xander Cage (Vin Diesel)is left for death after an incident, and then he secretly returns to action for a tough assignment designed for him.
Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons(妖魔) II
Release date: January 28,2017
Starring: Kris Wu, Kenny Lin, Yao Chen, Jelly Lin
Rating: ★★★★
Plot: The film is a sequel (续集)to the 2013 film, Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons, which was directed by Stephen Chow. Tang Sanzang (Kris Wu), along with his three disciples, sets out on the Journey to the West. Although they appear to be harmonious, in reality, they are plotting against each other. After a series of adventures where they capture demons, they start to understand one another’s pains and heart, and finally solve their internal conflicts, working together to become the most united demon-killing team.
Live by Night
Release date: January 13,2017
Starring: Ben Affleck, Scott Eastwood, Zoe Saldana, Elle Faning
Rating: ★★★
Plot: In the Prohibition Era, Joe Coughlin, the prodigal son of a Boston police captain, becomes a bootlegger and later, a notorious gangster(恶棍).
The Village of No Return
Release date: January 28,2017
Starring: Hsu chi, Wang Qianyuan, Hsiao-chuan Chang, Eric Tsang
Rating: ★★
Plot: In a beautiful and quiet village, an uninvited guest and mysterious treasure appear, making a series of funny stories happen.
1.Which film can you see if you’re free on Jan. 13,2017?
A. Live by Night B. Journey to the West
C. The Return of Xander Cage D. The Village of No Return
2.Who stars two films among the four mentioned?
A. Scott Eastwood B. Kris Wu
C. Ruby Rose D. Hsu chi
3.Why can the demon-killing group finally become the most harmonious one?
A. They are facing risks to explore everything
B. They can avoid their internal arguments
C. They can fully know about each other
D. They are fighting against each other
4.How is The Village of No Return different from the other films?
A. It is rated more stars than the other three
B. It is a follow-up film to the 2013 one
C. It is not released in the same month
D. It can make audience laugh a lot
假定你是李华。从学校通告栏上看到某公司招聘海外游学团领队的广告，你很感兴趣。请写一封英文电子邮件咨询此职位的工作职责、资历要求及报酬等相关信息。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3. 参考词汇：通告栏 notice board；游学团 study tour
Dear Sir/Madam,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
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处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅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（Λ），并在其下面写出该加的词。
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。
Several days ago, Mother brought home little cat. I named her “Mimi”. She is black all over. Can you imagine how she looks like? Every morning she gets up early than anyone else. Then she climbs on my bed and wake me up. When we are having our meal, she is often runs under the table and even climbs onto our knees. She seems to be saying, “Let me join you. I want nothing to eat.” Mimi likes to lie on the sunshine. She feels comfortably that way. She looks lovely when doing that. I like Mimi very much so she brings our joy.
When you are thirsty, you can drink some green tea. It tastes good and it’s very healthy. The Chinese1. (know)about the benefits of green tea since ancient times, and they use2.to treat everything from headaches to depression. They have 3.(actual)been using green tea as a medicine for over 4,000 years.
Nowdadys, there is scientific evidence of the health benefits of green tea. According to one study4.(publish)in a cancer research journal, drinking green tea 5.(reduce)the risk of some types of cancer in Chinese men and women 6.nearly sixty percent. USA researchers have also found that green tea may prevent the7.(grow)of cancer cells. There is also new evidence 8.green tea can help to destroy bacteria in our bodies. It is especially effective at getting rid of the bacteria on your 9.(tooth)and keep them healthy!
According to the Chinese proverb, “It is10. (good)to go without food for three days, than without tea for one.” So, in brief, you should definitely try a cup of green tea. It seems that it can only do you good.
