There’s a trend that more city people decide that they want to grow crops and raise some live-stock (家禽). After all, there are few things more satisfying than biting into a bunch of tender, red carrots you grow yourself, or a fresh egg from the backyard.
Most gardeners understand that the soil in big cities is often polluted with lead and know to get their soil tested. But most are pretty clueless about how to prevent other types of pollutants, like heavy metals and asbestos(石棉)from getting into their vegetables.
Part of the problem is that “there might be pollutants that gardeners can’t test for,” says Brent Kim, a program officer. Most soil tests look for lead, cadrniunt(镉)and arsenic(砷). But they don’t test things like chemicals left behind by cars, which might have escaped into the soil.
So if you’re thinking of staring an urban garden, Kim says, once you’ve found a plot of land, you should learn what’s now an empty plot or a backyard might once have been a parking lot, a gas station or a chemical ground. “Knowing its past will give you some idea about what might be in that soil,” he says.
“People tend to think raised beds are going to solve their pollution problem,” Kim says. But polluted soil could easily kicked onto your plants, especially if the beds are low to the ground.
“Another consideration is that you have to be careful about the materials that you’re using to build a raised bed,” Kim says. Recycling wood from an old construction site might seem like a good, eco-friendly idea. But that wood could be treated with chemicals you don’t want touching your fruits and veggies, Kim says. And it’s always a good idea to use gloves while gardening, and wash all your produce thoroughly.
“I see these urban growing spaces as these oases(绿洲)in the middle of these urban environments,” Kim says. “They bring communities together, and they help people save money on fresh produce. Urban growing spaces are amazing. Let’s keep doing this, but let’s do it safely.”
1.What does the underlined word “clueless” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. unaware B. careless
C. helpless D. considerate
2.What should you do when starting an urban garden?
A. Build it on a parking lot B. Keep it low to the ground
C. Know the history of the ground D. Use recycled wood to build it
3.What do we know about the raise beds from the text?
A. They are free from some tests B. Their plants can be poisoned
C. They are environment-friendly D. Their materials are all recycled
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A. More fresh vegetables are produced by urban gardeners
B. Growing vegetables become a fashion in big cities
C. Big cities are short of soil for growing fresh produce
D. Urban gardeners may not realize the seriousness of polluted soil
Meet the amazing Eliot Schrefer, and see why we’re big fans!
Scope: Why do you write stories about animals?
Eliot: I’ve always been excited by animal stories. When I was young, I liked reading about animals because they seemed like they needed help, and they were also voiceless.
Scope: Where did you get the idea for Animal Distress Calls?
Eliot: Many years ago, I had a friend who worked as a doctor at the Bronx Zoo. One evening he invited me to see the zoo after hours. Wandering that still, dark zoo was haunting. I was imagining adventures with big wild animals, but only the wolves were awake. Then he took me into the clinic, where I met a sick bird. That nighttime visit clearly had a big impact on this story.
Scope: Why did you leave Josie’s fate ambiguous in the story Animal Distress Calls?
Eliot: So many of us have known a creature, human or nonhuman, who’s been suffering. Sometimes everything gets better, and sometimes it doesn’t. That doesn’t change the important, compassionate act of caring. I didn’t want the story to become about the outcome of Josie’s illness. I wanted it to be about the sympathy Josie and Julia share for each other.
Scope: Have you had a personal experience with an animal that changed you?
Eliot: I had a moment during research for my ape novels when I was staying at a bonobo sanctuary in Congo. I’d have breakfast with Oshwe, a young bonobo who was too little to eat with the rest of the group. Sitting with him for a few hours each morning, I helped make sure that he finished his meal and got the nutrition he needed---but it also felt like a gift he was giving me. Oh, I remember thinking, you’re spending this precious morning time with me!
1.What is Eliot Schrefer famous for according to the text?
A. Being an animal doctor B. His special bond with animals
C. His amazing animal stories D. Being a volunteer taking care of animals
2.What was Eliot Schrefer surprised by while visiting the Bronx Zoo?
A. The quiet atmosphere B. The active wolves
C. His friend’s behavior D. The violent wild animals
3.Why did Eliot Schrefer leave Josie’s fate ambiguous?
A. Because he thought it was not important
B. Because he wanted readers to make a guess
C. Because he wanted to attract readers’ attention
D. Because he would make it clear in his next story
4.What was Eliot Schrefer’s attitude towards Oshwe?
A. Proud B. Frightened
C. Disappointed D. Appreciative
A member of our class told us of a request made by his wife. She and a group of other women in her church were involved in a self-improvement program. She asked her husband to help her by listing six things he believed she could do to help her become a better wife. He reported to the class, “I was surprised by such a request. Frankly, it would have been easy for me to list six things I would like to change about her---my heavens, she could have listed a thousand things she would like to change about me---but I didn’t. I said to her, ‘Let me think about it and give you an answer in the morning.’”
“The next morning I got up very early and called the florist(花商)and had him send six red roses to my wife with a note saying, ‘ I can’t think of six things I would like to change about you. I love you the way you are.’”
“When I arrived at home that evening, who do you think greeted me at the door? That’s right. My wife! She was almost in tears. Needless to say, I was extremely glad I had not criticized her as she had requested.”
“The following Sunday at church, after she had reported the result of her request, several women with whom she had been studying came up to me and said, ‘That is the most considerate thing I have ever heard.’ I was then that I realized the power of appreciation.”
Lincoln once began a letter saying, “Everybody likes a compliment.” William James said, “The deepest principle in human nature is the desire to be appreciated.” So let’s give honest, sincere appreciation to others instead of criticizing them. This will make a great difference to your life as well as others’.
1.What can we learn from the husband’s words in the text?
A. He had to end his marriage B. His wife actually wanted some praise
C. He was angry with his wife D. His wife’s request was a joke
2.What does the underlined phrase “the result” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A. Being criticized B. Getting the flowers
C. Listing the six things D. Becoming a better wife
3.What kind of person is the husband according to the text?
A. Childlike B. Ambitious
C. Courageous D. Thoughtful
4.What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A. To stress the value of recognition
B. To tell us the power of knowledge
C. To tell us the meaning of perfection
D. To stress the importance of forgiveness
The following are several summer programs for children.
Duke University ADHD Program
Academic Summer Program is used to help 6th to 8th graders with ADHD(注意力缺乏多动症). The program uses techniques to teach study strategies, academic support skills, and cooperative learning activities.
Phone: 919-416-2096
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Eagle Hill School(Connecticut)
The Summer Academic Day Program at Eagle Hill School is designed for children experiencing academic difficulty. Open to boys and girls ages 6 to 12. The summer program immerses(使沉浸)kids in a total language environment specifically tailored to meet his or her needs.
Phone: 203-622-9240
Location: Greenwich, Connecticut
The Gow School
The Gow School offers a traditional summer school program experience for boys and girls ages 8 to 15. The 5-week session offers a specially designed curriculum for students who have experienced academic difficulty or have language based learning disabilities. Summer Program learners can be day students or live on campus(校园).
Phone :716-652-3450
Location: South Wales, New York
The Kentwood Summer Camp Program
The Kentwood Summer Camp Program is a school program catering toward children, teens, and their families who are not being successful in the traditional school environments socially, and or at home. It is for children and teens in grades K(Kindergarten) to 12.
Phone: 954-581-8222 or 954-634-0601
Location: Davie, Florida
1.Which number may parents of children with ADHD call?
A. 954-634-0601 B. 919-416-2096
C. 716-652-3450 D. 203-622-9240
2.What is special about the Gow School Summer Program?
A. It is for successful students
B. Learners are limited to boys
C. It allows students to live there
D. Learners are interested in language
3.Which program should a less sociable child attend?
A. Duke University ADHD Program
B. The Gow School Summer Program
C. The Summer Academic Day Program
D. The Kentwood Summer Camp Program
I worked from the time when I was four and raised seven children, all of them college graduates. It seemed I'd done everything I'd ever wanted to do in my life, but I had one regret. I was born in 1898, the oldest of five kids. Papa couldn't spare me to go to school, so I worked in the fields with him till I was 21 years old.
Everywhere I went, I learned some hard lessons about what happens to a man who even can't read the alphabet. People cheat you out of wages. They sell you a ticket to one city, take your money and hand you a ticket to somewhere else.
By 1928, I'd been wandering for nine years. I met a woman named Elzenia. We fell in love, married and moved to Dallas, where I got work fixing roads for the city. When Amelia, the oldest of our seven children, first went to school, I took my wife aside. "Elzenia," I said. "I don't want the kids to know I can't read or write."
In 1938, one day my boss called me in. "George," he said. "No one knows those machines like you do. I'd like to promote you." But my thrill and surprise were cut short when he said, "Fill out this application and we'll get you a raise." I couldn't admit the truth. I thanked him and walked out of his office. I did stay right where I was, until I turned 65 and my boss made me retire. But I didn't stop working. For the next 25 years, I lived a happy life, but it still seemed to me like something was missing.
A young fellow handed me a piece of paper. It's information about adult education classes. People can learn to read and write. Now I'm 98. I thought of my friends and neighbours and what they might think if they found out I couldn't read. After all these years, my secret would be out. But all my life I've wanted to read. It was high time for action.
注意:1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2.应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语;
3.续写部分分为两段,每段的开头语已为你写好;
4.续写完成后,请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
The young man drove me to __________________________________________________
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Paragraph 2:
I'm still going to school. _________________________________________________
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假定你是李华。你校将于周四晚上举办一场英语演讲比赛。请你用英语给外教Charlie写一封邀请函,邀请他担任评委。要点如下:
1.比赛时间、地点:6月8日,周四晚7点至9点,报告厅。
2.演讲主题:中西文化差异。
3.参赛选手:高二学生。
4.评判内容:语音、语调(intonation)、内容等。
注意:
1.词数80左右;
2.可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
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